Vegan Baked Manicotti with Kale and Red Wine Tomato Sauce

ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried manicotti shells (about 14 shells)

For the Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional, or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Vegan Ricotta and Kale Filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups stemmed and finely chopped lacinato kale (about 1 small bunch)
• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup unflavored soy or almond milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu

For Serving

• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

instructions:

Cook the Manicotti Shells:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the manicotti shells and cook according to package directions. Drain the shells and return them to the pot, tossing with a few dashes of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.

Make the Tomato Sauce:

2. Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir a few times to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and lower heat. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until thickened slightly.

Make the Vegan Ricotta and Kale Filling:

4. While the sauce simmers, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add kale and continue to sauté until fully wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Place the cashews, milk, lemon juice and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the tofu and pulse a few times until a chunky, ricotta-like texture is achieved.
6. If you have room in your food processor bowl, add the kale mixture and pulse just until blended. Otherwise, you can transfer the ricotta mixture to the skillet to mix (if the skillet is cool), or transfer both to a mixing bowl, and mix with a large spoon or spatula.

Make the Baked Manicotti:

7. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish, or divide it among two smaller baking dishes.
8. Using a pastry bag (or a zipper bag with a corner snipped off), pipe the ricotta mixture into manicotti shells. Arrange the filled shells in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells and cover with foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving; garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

notes:

Feel free to substitute your favorite Italian tomato sauce, whether it's homemade, or a jarred variety for an easier version. You will need about 4-5 cups. Be sure to chop your kale very finely, to avoid clogging up your pastry bag when filling the shells. A 9 x 13-inch baking dish should fit all of your shells snugly, or you can use two 9 x 9-inch dishes to give yourself a bit of extra room.