Spinach and Tofu Cannelloni

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like cannelloni, the mere thought of it is enough to induce hunger pangs! With a delicious, creamy filling perfectly balanced by a tasty tomato sauce, it’s Italian comfort food at it’s best.

Rest assured, this simple vegan version doesn’t compromise on any of the mouth-watering flavor. The vibrant red and green colours make it visually appealing and it’s packed full of protein and iron too, so it really does make the perfect family meal!

Start by making the tomato sauce:

Dice 2 large red onions and 1 bulb of garlic (I tend to use garlic very liberally!) and fry in a little olive oil over low heat until the onions look 'glassy'.

Then add:

4 tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp of salt

1tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of dried basil.

After stirring, add 135g of tomato paste and leave to simmer.

Next, make the filling:

Put 450g of thawed frozen spinach leaves in a large bowl or pan. Then add:

3 cloves of garlic (minced).

1 tbs olive oil.

3 tbsp of lemon juice.

¼ cup nutritional yeast.

1 tsp of salt and some pepper.

Stir, then add:

1 pack of organic firm tofu (approx 400g)

Mash the tofu into the mixture with a potato masher until it looks crumbly, then stir until the whole mixture is thoroughly combined.

Now you're ready to assemble the dish:

Spoon half the tomato mixture across the bottom of a large baking tray or lasagne dish and spread evenly.

Fill the cannelloni tubes *. To do this, I hold them, one at a time, with one end of the tube pressed in the palm of my hand, and drop the tofu mixture in with a teaspoon, frequently pushing it down with the spoon handle so they’re optimally filled and compact. Alternatively you can use a piping bag, but personally I don't find it any easier.

As you fill the tubes, arrange them side by side in 2 rows along the tray, on top of the tomato mixture.

Spoon the rest of the tomato mixture over the top.

At this point you can either sprinkle the top with vegan cheese, or cover the dish with a homemade cheesy sauce.

To make the cheesy sauce, thoroughly blend the following in your vitamix or food processor until it forms a smooth liquid:

2 cups of cashew nuts

1 ½ cups water

1tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

Once you have spread this mixture evenly over the top, place the tray/dish in the oven, on gas mark 5, for 30 minutes.

I serve it with a few fresh basil leaves from my garden scattered on top and I often like to sprinkle it with toasted pine nuts too.

I used store-bought vegan cheese in the picture above, but I often use my own, homemade cheese. You can find out how I make it here. However, if you use this recipe to make your own cheese then I advise adding it after the dish has been cooking for 20 minutes because if the cheese is heated for too long it may start to separate. In general, I prefer to use the cheesy sauce I mentioned above as the creaminess really compliments the tomato sauce and the spinach mixture.

This recipe fills 28 tubes, so you may want to halve it if you’re feeding less people, although it does freeze well and makes for a delicious future treat one evening when you’re too tired to cook!

*When I make this dish, I make a separate, gluten free version for myself. Instead of using cannelloni tubes, I use individual cabbage leaves. I cut the fibrous spines out, place a mound of the filling in a line at one end of each leaf, then roll them up and cook as above.