Vegan Cannelloni

Name: Vegan Cannelloni
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 Cloves Garlic; 4 tablespoons of Lemon Juice; 28 oz Firm Tofu (800 grams); 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil; 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast Flakes (15 grams); 2 teaspoons of Dried Oregano; 2 teaspoons of Onion Powder; 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt; 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper; 1 cup of Chopped Baby Spinach (30 grams); 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil; 2 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour; 2 cups of Soy Milk (480ml) (any non-dairy milk); 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast Flakes (15 grams); 1 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard; 1/4 teaspoon of Salt; 1/8 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper; 1/2 teaspoon of Onion Powder; 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder; 20 Tubes Cannelloni (give or take depending on your dish size – cram in as many as you can); 2 and 1/2 cups of Marinara Sauce (600ml); Fresh Chopped Parsley; Ground Black Pepper

·February 19, 2023
·Sam

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Traditional Italian cannelloni with ricotta and spinach in bechamel sauce with fresh basil leaves on a white plate on a gray concrete background. Vegetarian dish.

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Vegan Cannelloni

Stuffed with fresh spinach and tofu ricotta, layered with rich marinara sauce, and topped with creamy vegan cheese this vegan cannelloni is then baked to perfection so it’s bubbling with goodness. You’ll be surprised at how easily this vegan cannelloni comes together, perfect for a weeknight meal or fancy dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Cannelloni Tofu

This daily-free Italian pasta dish is easy to prepare and easily customizable. Add your favorite veggies, switch up the marinara sauce, or top with your favorite vegan cheese. It’s also perfect to prepare in advance and freezes well making it ideal for busy households.

Helpful Equipment To Make Vegan Cannelloni

Recipe Ingredients

Tofu Ricotta:

2 Cloves Garlic
4 tablespoons of Lemon Juice
28 oz Firm Tofu (800 grams)
4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast Flakes (15 grams)
2 teaspoons of Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons of Onion Powder
1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
1 cup of Chopped Baby Spinach (30 grams)

Vegan Cheese Sauce:

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
2 cups of Soy Milk (480ml) (any non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast Flakes (15 grams)
1 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/8 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder

Assembling:

20 Tubes Cannelloni (give or take depending on your dish size – cram in as many as you can)
2 and 1/2 cups of Marinara Sauce (600ml)

Serving:

Fresh Chopped Parsley
Ground Black Pepper

Traditional Italian cannelloni with ricotta and spinach in bechamel sauce with fresh basil leaves on a white plate on a gray concrete background. Vegetarian dish.

How To Make Vegan Cannelloni Ricotta and Spinach

To make the tofu ricotta allow the crushed garlic and fresh lemon juice to soak in a bowl for 5 minutes. Add the tofu to the bowl and mash with a fork.

Place the vegan ricotta tofu mixture, olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, onion powder, sea salt, and ground black pepper in a food processor. Process until the mixture is well combined but still is still a bit chunky.

Transfer the tofu ricotta mixture to a mixing bowl and fold in the chopped baby spinach. Combine to mix together.

To make the vegan cheese sauce, heat olive oil on medium-high heat until it is hot. Add the all-purpose flour to the oil and mix to combine. Fry the flour in the oil briefly and then pour in the soy milk, stirring continuously. Heat the sauce, whisking well to prevent any lumps from forming, and bring it to a boil. Continue whisking and stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce is nice and thick.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and add the nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, salt, ground pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Set the sauce aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

To assemble the vegan cannelloni preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with marinara sauce.

Place the tofu ricotta into a piping bag and pipe it into the cannelloni tubes.

Place the filled cannelloni tubes on top of the marinara sauce in the baking dish. You can place them horizontally or vertically in the dish. It is okay if they touch each other too. Aim to fill the dish as much as you can with the cannelloni making sure there are no gaps of marinara sauce showing through.

Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed tubes and then pour the vegan cheese on top. Smooth the sauce with the back of a spoon so it is evenly distributed.

Bake this vegan cannelloni recipe for 30 minutes.

To serve sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and a dash of black pepper.

Prep: 35 mins
Cook 45mins

Cannelloni with spinach and ricotta baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella on a light background, top view

All About Vegan Cannelloni

Making vegan versions of our favorite pasta dishes doesn’t have to be complicated. In this vegan cannelloni, we use tofu instead of ricotta cheese and we make a rich bechamel sauce using non-dairy milk. This vegan version comes together quickly and easily and is just as tasty as its non-vegan counterpart.

Variations

Use different kinds of marinara sauce either homemade or store-bought.
Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.
Top with fresh basil instead of parsley.
Stuff a different kind of pasta like shells or manicotti.

Tips and Tricks/Notes

Firm tofu – I used firm tofu for the cannelloni but you can use firm or extra firm tofu. The tofu does not need to be pressed before you start.
Soy milk –I used soy milk but any plant-based, non-dairy milk that heats well will work. Make sure to choose unsweetened, unflavored milk.
Dijon mustard – Dijon adds a pungent cheesy flavor to the cheese sauce though any prepared yellow mustard will also work.
Marinara sauce –Any brand or any kind of marinara sauce will work. Even homemade.
Cannelloni pasta tubes –In this recipe we filled 20 cannelloni tubes with the tofu ricotta mixture. Since the size of the tubes may vary you may use more or less. Just make sure to fill as many as will fit in your baking pan.
Gluten-free: To make this vegan cannelloni recipe gluten-free look for gluten-free cannelloni tubes. If you can’t find cannelloni any shape that allows you to stuff them will also work. To make the vegan cheese sauce gluten-free you can use gluten-free flour.
Make ahead: If you want you can prepare the vegan cannelloni filling and the cheese sauce up to 2 days in advance. Allow the cheese sauce to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. With the tofu ricotta and cheese sauce on hand, you’ll be all set to start stuffing the cannelloni tubes.

Traditional Italian cannelloni with ricotta and spinach in bechamel sauce with fresh basil leaves on a white plate on a gray concrete background. Vegetarian dish.

How To Store This Cannelloni

Storing: This vegan spinach and ricotta cannelloni will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven.

Freezing: To freeze leftover spinach and ricotta cannelloni seal well and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.

FAQs

What can I use instead of cannelloni tubes?

If you can’t get your hands on cannelloni tubes or any shape of pasta that is usually stuffed you can use no-cook lasagna sheets and layer the dish. Or if you use regular lasagna sheets you can cook them, place the filling on them and roll then roll them up before placing them on top of the marinara sauce.

What is the easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes?

I find the easiest way to fill the cannelloni tube is to fill half the tube on one side and then flip it around and fill the other side. You can also use a piping back or a plastic bag with the end cut off.

Is cannelloni vegan?

Cannelloni can most definitely be vegan. Follow this recipe for an amazing dish of vegan tofu ricotta cannelloni.

Conclusion

Savory tomato sauce-drenched, stuffed pasta that has been filled with a rich creamy filling and then topped with cheesy goodness is the ultimate comfort food. Hearty, nourishing, and super satisfying.