Spinach & "Ricotta" Cannelloni
This Cannelloni recipe is 100% vegan (plant-based, egg-free, dairy-free), incredibly tasty, and can be made gluten-free. Stuffed with homemade vegan ricotta, healthy spinach, and other simple ingredients that make this dish a perfect dinner.
Servings 4
Equipment
- Food processor*
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 7 oz (200 g) fresh spinach finely chopped
- 1 batch (14 oz) (400 g) vegan ricotta (*see notes)
- 21 oz (600 g) tomato sauce (*see notes)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 14 tubes of dry cannelloni pasta or Manicotti, gluten-free if needed (*see notes)
- 1 batch (7 oz) (200 g) vegan cheese sauce or store-bought vegan cheese
Instructions
- First, prepare the vegan ricotta cheese (click for the recipe and instructions) for the homemade version or use store-bought vegan ricotta or vegan cream cheese.
- Pour some tomato sauce in an 8x11 inches (20x28 cm) casserole/baking dish to avoid sticking and set aside.
- Next, heat oil in a pan/skillet and sauté onion over medium heat. After a few minutes, add garlic, and spices. Also, add finely chopped spinach and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Process the spinach mixture and vegan ricotta in a food processor (just pulse a couple of times). If you don't have a food processor or blender, simply add the vegan ricotta to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 360 °F (ca. 180 °C).
- Add the spinach and ricotta mixture into a piping bag and pipe the filling into the uncooked Cannelloni tubes (see step-by-step photos above in the blog post). Position the Cannelloni tubes upright, which makes it easier to fill them. You can also add the filling to a freezer bag and cut off one of the edges.
- Then place all tubes into the casserole dish. Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, covering all the tubes. Add vegan cheese on top. I used my easy vegan cheese sauce but you can use any store-bought vegan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the oven. I didn't use aluminum foil but if you notice after 15-20 minutes that it browns too much, simply cover the casserole dish with foil. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- You can also use hummus instead of vegan ricotta. Another possibility would be vegan cream cheese.
- I used a chunky tomato sauce and added some salt, black pepper, fresh garlic, onion powder, and Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme) to taste.
- In addition to spinach, you can add veggies of choice, for example, finely chopped peppers, grated zucchini, etc.
- Double the recipe and freeze half of the spinach ricotta mixture for another use.
- You will need 14 store-bought dry Cannelloni pasta tubes that are about 4 inches (ca. 10 cm) long and have a diameter of 1 inch (ca. 2,5 cm). In the United States, they are labeled as Manicotti. They have ridges and are larger than Cannelloni tubes, so you will need less.
- You can order gluten-free manicotti online.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving (made with my homemade vegan ricotta and cheese sauce).
Nutrition Facts
Spinach & "Ricotta" Cannelloni
Amount per Serving
Calories
468
% Daily Value*
Fat
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
40
%
Carbohydrates
61
g
20
%
Fiber
14
g
56
%
Sugar
12
g
13
%
Protein
20
g
40
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.