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Surprise! I’m back with another pasta recipe. I can’t help it – our plant based cheeze spreads pair so perfectly with noodles of every shape and size. To be honest, this recipe kind of happened by accident. While grocery shopping to restock my kitchen during the coronavirus madness, manicotti was one of the only boxes of pasta left on the shelf. I’ve actually never made manicotti so I figured now would be a perfect time to try! It’s actually so simple – I’m super excited to share my Easy Vegan Manicotti recipe.
Is there anything better than tubes of pasta filled with vegan cheeze smothered in homemade marinara sauce and baked until bubbly and warm? I think not! It’s so nice to keep an easy, comforting recipe in your back pocket, especially during these crazy times. Manicotti is really as simple or complex as you want to make it. Just pre-boil the noodles, then stuff them with the filling of your choice. For a shortcut, you can totally use marinara sauce from a jar. Just make sure it’s organic!
To make the filling, I sautéd some baby spinach and then added two packages of Smoked Gouda Cheeze Spread to the pan. A pinch of salt, along with a squeeze of lemon, brightens the flavor and completes this creamy, dreamy manicotti filling.
All that’s left to do is scoop the cheezy filling into the manicotti and plop them in a sauced-up baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over top of the noodles and bake until the edges are a bit bubbly; this should take about 20 minutes. Top with some fresh parsley and vegan parmesan and you have a super satisfying meal that the entire family will devour!
Peace.Love.Plants.
Tiffany
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View More Vegan Recipes
Easy Vegan Manicotti Recipe
Spinach & Artichoke Vegan Stuffed Shells Recipe
Cheesy Weeknight Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
Creamy Vegan Garlic Noodles Recipe
Vegan Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz. package of manicotti
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons agave or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Few twists of black pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed and chopped
- 2 packages Smoked Gouda Cheeze Spread
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Fresh parsley and vegan parmesan, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the manicotti according to the box directions, between 8 and 10 minutes. Drain the manicotti and transfer it to a baking sheet to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and continue to cook until thick and flavorful, 15 minutes or so.
- Heat a smaller skillet over low heat. Add the spinach and a tiny splash of water and steam until wilted, about a minute.
- Stir in the Smoked Gouda Cheeze Spread and lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt and remove from heat.
- Pour a cup of the marinara sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon some cheeze filling into each manicotti and place them side by side in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, top with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan.
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peace. love. plants.
