Vegan Cannelloni
Create homemade vegan cannelloni made with tofu and spinach. Enjoy hearty Italian comfort food, with this healthy plant-based recipe.
Vegan cannelloni is comfort food at its best. This meat-free version of an Italian classic is stuffed with cheesy, protein-packed vegan ricotta.
It’s made from tofu, nutritious spinach and fresh herbs. The cannelloni is topped with pasta sauce and vegan parmesan, providing the dish with a wonderful depth of flavor.
A great way to use up extra no-boil lasagna sheets and pasta sauce, this creamy and flavorful dish, is a personal favorite.
The dish can be enjoyed by everyone, vegan or not, and can be made soy-free and nut-free too. The recipe is easy to follow and is adaptable to different diets.
Key tips to follow
- When tasting and seasoning the ricotta, bear in mind that the flavor of the lactic acid or vinegar will intensify as it cooks, so do not be tempted to add too much.
- If using no-boil lasagna sheets, soften them prior to cooking. If you decide to use cannelloni or manicotti tubes, this is not required.
Do not cook the tubes prior, they will cook whilst baking. Pre-boiled cannelloni tubes will be a nightmare to stuff and will overcook in the oven. - If using frozen spinach, you may need to squeeze out some liquid once thawed.
- To give the ricotta an extra cheesy kick, store-bought vegan cream cheese, mozzarella or cheddar can be added.
- Be sure to cover the cannelloni completely with pasta sauce before baking. The moisture helps to cook the noodles.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Oven-ready no-boil lasagne sheets – They will be filled and rolled into tubes to create the signature cannelloni shape. Check the ingredients to make sure they are eggless. I used Barilla Collezione (dark blue box, eggless version).
- Pasta sauce – A store-bought jar of pasta sauce is used in the recipe, but homemade pasta sauce may also be used.
- Ground almonds or cashews, nutritional yeast and salt to make the vegan parmesan. Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor that would be otherwise hard to achieve.
- Tofu Ricotta – Made using tofu, nutritional yeast and vegan lactic acid or vinegar for the sharp “cheesy” taste.
- Garlic and basil or parsley will be used to flavor the vegan ricotta
- Salt and black pepper
- Spinach – Either fresh or frozen is fine. Any leftovers can be used in this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta or this Vegan One Pot Pasta.
How to make Vegan Cannelloni
(Quick summary. Full details in the recipe card at the end.)
1. Make the tofu ricotta by blending the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add the spinach and herbs, pulsing to combine.
2. Soften the oven-ready lasagna sheets by soaking in warm water for 2-3 minutes. Lay them out on a clean surface or cutting board.
3. Spoon the filling onto the sheets and roll into tubes.
4. Pour half of the pasta sauce into a casserole dish before creating a layer of cannelloni, then pour over and spread the remaining sauce.
5. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid or foil, add store-bought shredded vegan cheese at this point if desired then bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Combine the ingredients for the vegan parmesan whilst the pasta dish is cooling. Serve topped with the parmesan and chopped fresh herbs.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- You can use cannelloni tubes or even manicotti tubes in place of the lasagne sheets if preferred. If you are using pasta tubes instead, it’s easier to use a piping bag to stuff them.
- Both gluten-free oven-ready lasagna noodles and gluten-free manicotti tubes are available if preferred.
- If you would prefer not to use pasta or need a lower-carb option, try thin slices of eggplant or zucchini instead.
- As mentioned, you can use homemade pasta sauce if preferred.
- For a tofu or soy-free ricotta, try almonds or almond flour. I made almond ricotta in my Vegan Stuffed Shells recipe. The same amount should be enough for this recipe.
Cashews or macadamia nuts can also be used. Sunflower or hemp seeds are great nut-free alternatives.
- A variety of store-bought vegan cheeses can be used in addition to the homemade ricotta to make this dish even cheesier. Vegan cheddar or mozzarellas may be used top the cannelloni instead of parmesan. I personally love Violife’s vegan mozzarella.
- You can add in other quick-cooking vegetables to the sauce, such as chopped zucchini or eggplant, if you wish.
Storage Suggestions
The dish can be refrigerated for up to three days in an air-tight container. It’s also freezer-friendly, lasting up to a month when frozen.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Reheat a single portion in the microwave or the entire dish in the oven.
The tofu ricotta can be made the day before to make this recipe quicker. Just cover and store in the refrigerator.
Serving Ideas
Garlic bread and salads make great accompaniments to this vegan pasta bake and pasta dishes in general.
Pair it with this delicious dairy-free and vegan garlic knots. In the summer, a light salad is ideal, and in the colder months, a warm salad is a welcome addition.
More vegan pasta bake recipes
Vegan Cannelloni (Tofu and Spinach)
Equipment
- 10-inch or 9 by 11-inch casserole dish
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
- 10 eggless oven-ready lasagna sheets
- 23 oz (650 g) jar of pasta sauce, (about 3 cups)
- olive oil
Tofu Ricotta
- 16 oz (450 g) firm tofu, drained
- 4 tablespoon (16 g) nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon (4 g) vegan lactic acid, or 1 tbsp (15ml) vinegar/lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) black pepper, or to taste
- 1 palm-full chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach leaves, or frozen
Vegan Parmesan (See Notes)
- 2 tablespoon (15 g) ground almonds or cashews
- 1 tablespoon (4 g) nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt
Instructions
Make the tofu ricotta
- In a food processor add the tofu, nutritional yeast, lactic acid or vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.16 oz (450 g) firm tofu ,4 tablespoon (16 g) nutritional yeast ,2 teaspoon (4 g) vegan lactic acid ,2 cloves garlic ,½ teaspoon (2 g) salt ,½ teaspoon (2 g) black pepper
- Add the herbs and spinach and pulse until combined.2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach leaves
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed but try not to add too much lactic acid or vinegar. The sharp flavor will become more intense as it cooks.
Soften the lasagna noodles
- Prepare a large clean surface or cutting board and fill a large bowl with warm water.
- Add the lasagna sheets to the water and soak for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are flexible.10 eggless oven-ready lasagna sheets
- Remove them immediately and place them spaced apart on the cutting board or surface.
Fill and bake
- Preheat the oven to 370℉/187℃.
- Spoon equal amounts of the filling on one end of the lasagna sheets then roll them up.
- Lightly oil the casserole dish and pour in half the jar of pasta sauce.23 oz (650 g) jar of pasta sauce ,olive oil
- Place all the cannelloni in the dish in one layer then pour over the remaining pasta sauce. Ensure they are covered completely as the moisture will cook the pasta.
- Cover the dish with a lid or foil and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15 minutes. If you’re using store-bought vegan cheese, you can also add some at this point.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pasta to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Combine the ingredients for the vegan parmesan in a small bowl.2 tablespoon (15 g) ground almonds or cashews ,1 tablespoon (4 g) nutritional yeast ,¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt
- Serve the cannelloni topped with vegan parmesan and chopped fresh herbs.1 palm-full chopped fresh basil or parsley
Notes
- You can use store-bought vegan mozzarella in place of vegan parmesan.
- You can also use a high-speed blender or immersion blender for the tofu ricotta, but you may need to add a few spoonfuls of water to get things moving.