Louie’s Holiday Manicotti

By blum099

With dairy products omnipresent in many favorite Italian dishes, it takes some culinary brainpower to make vegan manicotti that is almost indistinguishable from the original. This dish, created by the Italian father of a VegNews’ staffer, is a crowd-pleaser and a wonderful addition to a large family holiday dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 29-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces silken tofu
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 4 cups puréed butternut squash
• 1 pound vegan mozzarella, shredded and divided
• 2 packages manicotti pasta, cooked and drained
• Freshly minced parsley, for garnish

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, add olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are translucent.

2. In a blender, process cashews and water until completely smooth, then add sautéed onions and garlic and process again. Add nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and set sauce aside.

3. In a food processor, combine hominy, tofu, breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/3 cup sauce until the consistency of ricotta is reached. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and add butternut squash and 1/3 cup vegan mozzarella.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat bottom and sides of a 9-by-12-inch pan with a small amount of sauce. Fill pasta tubes with hominy mixture (by hand or using a pastry bag) and arrange in pan. Cover manicotti with sauce, then top with remaining vegan mozzarella. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with extra sauce on the side