Vegan Sausage and Pesto Ricotta Manicotti
Ingredients
Tofu pesto ricotta
- 1/2 a Block (about 8oz.) Extra firm tofu
- 2 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. Olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice, about 2 small lemons
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 1/3 C. Basil, fresh
- 2 Tbsp. Pine nuts or walnuts
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Black pepper
Tempeh sausage
- 8 oz. Tempeh
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Basil, dried
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Oregano
- 1/2 tsp. Paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Black pepper
Manicotti
- 1/2 a Box Manicotti noodles, 7 noodles
- 1 1/2 C. Marinara sauce
- Vegan Mozzarella for topping, optional
Preparation
Squeeze the tofu over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. If it crumbles, it's fine since it will be blended.
Add all the ricotta ingredients to a food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides as needed, until it has a ricotta-like texture. Set aside.
Begin boiling water for the manicotti and cook according to package instructions. This filling is for about 7 noodles.
While the manicotti is boiling, heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium high.
Crumble the tempeh into the pan and break up large pieces to resemble sausage crumbles.
Saute the tempeh for 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown, reducing heat as needed. Then stir in all the seasonings and saute for another minute.
Remove the tempeh from heat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Once the manicotti is drained and cooled slightly, combine the pesto ricotta and sausage in a mixing bowl. Optional: reserve some sausage for topping.
Pour about half of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.
Stuff the manicotti noodles with the ricotta-sausage mixture
Place the stuffed manicotti in the baking dish, cover with the remaining marinara sauce and optional vegan mozzarella
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20-30 minutes
