This wonderful Italian dish received rave reviews from both of us! I hope you try it! I should title this entry as: Finding A Vegan Ricotta Substitute or Long Night's Journey into Stuffed Manicotti. When I was a non-vegan, the foods I had the most trouble with were from the cheese group. I have had asthma my whole life (probably from growing up in a steel mill town and having two parents who smoked and drove us to Florida every spring in a window-closed car--I am sure that had something to do with it). Thus, one problem I have is that most dairy products have an unfortunate side effect (coughing, stomach aches and wheezing in some instances). I would never call myself a huge lover of cheese. However, in trying to re-create one of my favorite Italian dishes, I had to find the replacement for the ever-present cheese in most baked, stuffed pasta dishes: ricotta. Ick. I hated ricotta. I still hate it. I am glad I won't ever have to eat it again. In the vegan world, we find many a recipe calling for a tofu variation as a reliable substitute for ricotta stuffing. Vegan Ricotta being the most important ingredient (for this recipe), I kept taste testing the product before I even stuffed my first tube. The upshot is, I think you will find this tasty pasta dinner a real crowd pleaser! There are several steps to this, read the recipe through before beginning and this will be much easier to manage and can be in the oven in 30 minutes. Check your pantry for fresh marinara--really, making your own is not necessary for this.
Vegan Manicotti with Tofu, Chard and Peas
Preheat oven to 375. Oil a 9x13 baking dish. Prepare half of manicotti tubes in a box according to directions on package. *Don't over boil these--about six minutes boil time is all they will need. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
For Tofu-cotta Filling:
1 package Extra Firm Tofu drained and pressed
3/4 cup vegan mayo
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup vegan Parmesan
1 teaspoon Spike or other salt substitute or 1 teaspoon sea salt
Drain and press the tofu. This is not as hard as it sounds. Remove tofu from package and give it a little squeeze over the sink--not super hard. Then place the tofu on about five paper towels or wrap in a kitchen towel and lay something heavy on it to dry out some more. Then, place tofu and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times. You don't want this to become a cream, you will want a bit of a chunky consistency--you will be adding cooked veggies to it. My picture might help. When finished, set aside.
For Veggie Stuffing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 bunch Swiss Chard stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1 teaspoon dried or a couple stems fresh oregano
1 teaspoon of Spike or salt substitute seasoning
fresh ground pepper
1 package of vegan shredded Parmesan and mozzeralla
3 cups of your favorite marinara *You could make your own, but something about being hungry kept me from doing so.
Heat oil in medium saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes--until onions just begin to soften. Then add the chard and toss with tongs to coat and it begins to wilt. Add the frozen peas and rest of seasonings. Saute for about 10 minutes more. Turn off heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the tofu mixture and pulse about ten times--until veggies are well incorporated. Pour about a cup of marinara into the baking dish. Take a quart sized zip lock baggie and fill half way with the tofu-veggie mixture. Cut a hole in one end and begin filling your tubes. I find it easier to fill one end, then turn over and filling the other end--giving a nice, filled tube. Place in the baking pan evenly spaced. Ladle the remaining marinara over the noodles, not totally covering each tube. (I keep the reserved sauce for serving the dish on the plate). Add soy cheese to top and bake for about 35 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Yum!
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