Vegan Manicotti with Umami Mushrooms

Pareve / Serves 8

Spinach Almond Ricotta Cheese

Soak the almonds for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse.

In a food processor, process the almonds, coconut milk, avocado oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Blend until creamy.

Coat a skillet with cooking spray; add the spinach. Sauté the spinach with salt. Remove from heat; let cool. Add the ricotta; stir to combine. Place the ricotta in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up the cheese.

Umami Mushrooms

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and salt; sauté 5-7 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, white wine, and broth. Cover the pan; reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer until all the liquid has absorbed into the mushrooms, 35-45 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to high for 1 minute or until mushrooms become crispy and crunchy.

Pasta

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large pot, boil water; cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Drain; coat lightly with olive oil spray. This will ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together while it is cooling.

Add garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning to marinara sauce. Add half the sauce to a baking pan; spread to cover the bottom of the pan. Place spinach almond ricotta into a resealable plastic bag, press out all the air from the bag and close tightly. Using scissors, cut a very small piece from 1 corner. Pointing the cut corner into the shell, squeeze spinach ricotta into cooked pasta. Add filled pasta to the pan.

Bake, covered, for 30-35 minutes.

Heat the remaining sauce; pour over the pasta. Top with the umami mushrooms. Garnish with parsley.

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