This simple and fabulous Vegan Manicotti recipe is quick to prepare and is a favorite with family and friends alike! Stuffed with easy-to-make tofu ricotta, vegan cheese, and fresh chopped spinach!
Vegan Manicotti (like vegan stuffed shells!) is a popular dish in our family! From small to great, everyone gobbles it without even a fuss over the spinach! Score!! We all love the easy flavorful tofu ricotta filling in these stuffed manicotti.
This recipe is great because it can be prepared ahead and frozen - perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Any leftovers work great for lunches too!
Related recipe: Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
What you'll need to make vegan manicotti:
- manicotti shells
- fresh spinach
- firm water-packed tofu
- nutritional yeast flakes
- vegan cream cheese (or sub vegan mayo)
- garlic and onion
- dried basil, oregano, garlic and onion powder
- favorite pasta sauce
- shredded vegan cheese (optional) see notes below!
Instructions:
Cook 12 manicotti shells according to al dente' package directions (be sure and salt the water!). Place cooked manicotti shells in a bowl/pot of cool water to keep them from sticking together while you prepare the filling.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sauté diced onion and minced garlic over low heat until onions are soft and clear.
Prepare the filling: Drain the water from your tofu block and gently squeeze to remove any excess moisture. Crumble it with your fingers or a fork. Add softened vegan cream cheese or sub vegan mayo. Add spices, nutritional yeast, and salt and mix well (Photo #1).
Now add sautéed onion and garlic, chopped fresh spinach, and ¾ cup grated vegan cheese and mix together until combined (Photo #2).
Coat bottom of 9 x 11 inch baking dish with 2 ½ cups of pasta sauce.
Using a tablespoon or your fingers, fill each manicotti shell with approximately 3-4 tablespoons of tofu-ricotta mixture. Place each manicotti in the bed of sauce. When all the manicotti shells are filled, pour remaining pasta sauce over, sprinkle with any leftover filling mixture and top with ¼ cup vegan cheese shreds.
Cover securely with foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley if you like and serve!
Let's talk about vegan cheese:
Everyone always wants to know what kind of vegan cheese is best!
In these photos I used some of the Daiya 'board collection' style shreds. Honestly, not my fave. They melted pretty well, but just didn't have the right flavor. I like their shreddable block cheeses better. At any rate, the family still loved it and didn't even seem to notice.
When I have just a bit more time, my preference is to make my own Vegan Mozzarella. It melts, slices, and grates, and has absolutely delicious flavor. I might be a bit biased, but if you check out the reviews, my readers tend to agree!
Make ahead tips and storage of vegan manicotti:
If you would like to make vegan manicotti ahead of time, just go ahead and assemble everything, just don't bake it! Instead, cover your dish with plastic wrap or lid and place in the refrigerator for up to two days. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking or increase bake time by a few minutes as needed. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap and replace with a foil covering before baking!
You can also freeze this manicotti prior to baking for a ready made meal down the road! (up to two months).
Once baked, vegan manicotti lasts in the refrigerator for up to five days. I often freeze any leftovers in individual sized portions for easy work lunches!
Other favorite vegan Italian recipes:
- Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Vegan Minestrone Soup
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Perfect Vegan Pesto
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Vegan Pizza Sauce
If you’ve tried this Vegan Manicotti recipe or any other recipe on my blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food!!!
Vegan Manicotti
Ingredients
Cook:
- 8 oz Manicotti Shells, 12 shells
Saute:
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Tofu-ricotta filling:
- 16 oz firm water-packed tofu
- ⅓ cup vegan cream cheese, softened, or sub vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup grated vegan cheese, divided
Sauce:
- 4 cups pasta sauce, divided
Special equipment
- 11x9 inch baking dish
Instructions
- Boil water and cook 12 manicotti shells according to al dente' package directions (be sure and salt the water!). Place cooked manicotti shells in a bowl/pot of cool water to keep them from sticking together (or cooking further) while you prepare the filling.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sauté diced onion and minced garlic over low heat until onions are soft and clear.
- Prepare the filling: Drain the water from your tofu block and gently squeeze to remove any excess moisture. Crumble it with your fingers or a fork. Add softened vegan cream cheese (or sub vegan mayo). Add spices, nutritional yeast, and salt and mix well.
- Now add sautéed onion and garlic, chopped fresh spinach and ¾ cup grated vegan cheese and mix until combined.
- Coat bottom of 9 x 11 inch baking dish with 2 ½ cups of pasta sauce.
- Using a tablespoon or your fingers, fill each manicotti shell with approximately 3-4 tablespoons of tofu-ricotta mixture. Place each manicotti in the bed of sauce. When all the manicotti shells are filled, pour remaining pasta sauce over, sprinkle with any leftover filling mixture and top with ¼ cup vegan cheese shreds.
- Cover securely with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley if you like and serve!
This was fantastic!!! My daughter last had this fish when she was in Italy. Although she’s not a full vegan yet she lived this dish. Said it’s her new favorite. Hubby wants my to make every week. Thank you!! It’s been so hard to cook for her and us vegans and keep everyone happy.
Should says dish not fish.
So glad you guys enjoyed this dish and that it made everyone happy! Score! Thanks so much for commenting and letting me know! So encouraging to hear stories like this as a blogger!
This was amazing!!
So glad you like it! Thanks for the comment!
The ingredients list does not say pasta sauce. How much is it suppose to be for the receipe? Thanks
Oh my! Added that in! Thanks!!! It's a total of four cups. 2 1/2 as a bed of sauce for the manicotti and the remainder poured over top!