Vegan Dinners
Baked Spinach and Artichoke Manicotti Pasta
Once you allow yourself time to slow down and examine vegan cooking skills, it becomes obvious that a more casual approach to eating has its own special joys to be learned and savored. Spinach Artichoke Manicotti is not only economical, it will fill your home with irresistible aroma. This is also a great meal for a mid-week get together with friends. Have one couple bring a salad and another bring garlic bread and both couples bring their favorite beverage. Clean up is easy, visits can be savored over a meal, and friendships renewed. Slow down and enjoy life with an Italian-flare!

Yield: 6 Diners, 2 Stuffed Manicotti Each

Manicotti Pasta Filling Ingredients
12 manicotti pasta shells (large tube shapes)

olive oil spray

1 package Mori-Nu Extra Firm Tofu, aseptic box

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon basil, dried

1 teaspoon thyme, dried

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon marjoram, dried

4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 package organic frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

1 package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and squeezed dry, or 1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained

1 fresh tomato finely diced

4 organic sundried tomatoes, finely diced

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce Ingredients
1 quart boxed unsweetened plain soy milk
1 cup Imagine No Chicken Broth
5 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
8 ounces vegan mozzarella cheese, grated

Tools
TofuXpress
large sauce pan
large pot for cooking pasta
large strainer for pasta
1 gallon plastic zip lock bag
scissors
large baking dish
measuring cups & spoons
grater for cheese
spatula
offset spatula
Cuisinart Elite Food Processor
clamp or clothespin
one large baking dish

Preparation
This is the order sequence of preparation that is the most efficient for me... you may want to prepare the pasta and Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce the day before so that all you have to do is stuff the manicotti and then bake it. The Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce will be very thick when cold, so you will have to re-heat it and add more plain soy milk or Imagine No Chicken Broth to get it to a creamy state again.

Preheat the Oven
Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees.

The Pasta
Fill a large pasta cooking pot with water and bring to a rapid boil.

Add about two teaspoons of sea salt to the water.

Add the manicotti tubes and cook till just barely al dente.

The manicotti should be pliable, yet firm to the bite.

Drain, drizzle them with a tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil, and gently toss them within the pot to coat each one with the oil.

Separate the manicotti pasta tubes on a cutting board or a glass dish and set aside.

Don't worry that the manicotti are under cooked because they will continue to absorb moisture during the baking and the end result will be perfect.

HINT: If you are cooking the manicotti ahead of time, drain them and then put back into the cooking pan and drizzle a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over them to prevent sticking together. Gently shake them around in the pan to distribute the oil over all of the tubes. Then remove and spread out on a flat cutting board and cool completely before refrigerating. Refrigerate them in a baking dish in one layer to keep them from breaking or splitting. Cover the dish with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

The Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce
Pour the 5 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and add the flour.

Cook the flour in the oil for five minutes over medium heat.

In another sauce pan, heat the plain soy milk to a simmer.

Slowly whisk the soy milk into the cooked flour mixture, constantly stirring.

Add sea salt and white pepper.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Begin adding 1/4 cup amounts of the grated cheese while continuing to whisk.

Once the cheese have melted and the sauce is smooth, set the pan aside.

The Spinach Squeeze

Drain as much liquid as you can from the frozen spinach.

You can use your hands and squeeze large handfuls or pour the wet spinach into a tea-towel and squeeze the excess liquid out.

My favorite tool for eliminating the excess liquid is the TofuXpress.

Set aside.

The Onions and Garlic
In a skillet, add two tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent.

The Seasonings
Add the basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, fresh Italian parsley, white pepper and sea salt to the onions and garlic.

Stir the mixture to evenly distribute the seasonings.

Simmer for about one minute, remove from heat and set aside.

The Tofu Filling
Open the Mori-Nu Tofu box and put the contents into the the large Cuisinart Elite bowl fitted with the knife blade.

Whirl until the tofu is as smooth and creamy as mayonnaise.

The Artichoke Hearts
Add the drained artichoke hearts to the tofu mixture and PULSE a few times to distribute and cut the artichoke hearts evenly.

All you want is a rough chop to the artichokes, not pureed!

The Spinach
Add the squeezed spinach to the Cuisinart Elite's bowl with the tofu and seasonings and PULSE a few times to mix into the tofu.

Do not over process the spinach.

The Sauteed Onions and Garlic
Add the sauteed onions and garlic to the Cuisinart Elite bowl contents and pulse two or three times to distribute them throughout the bowl.

The Piping Bag

To make filling the manicotti simple and easy, fill a one gallon zip lock bag with the contents of the Cuisinart bowl using a large spatula.

Squeeze the contents to one side, twist the bag and secure with a clothes pin and set aside.

The Baking Dish
Prepare the baking dish by brushing or spraying olive oil over the entire interior surface. This will also make clean-up a breeze once the manicotti is consumed.

HINT: For a more elaborate presentation, try using individual baking dishes.

The Sauce
Pour about half the Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce into the baking dish.

Spread the filling out to cover the entire bottom of the pan with an offset spatula… this will be the bed for each manicotti to lay in once filled.

The Filling

Twist your plastic bag filled with the tofu filling mixture and then snip off tiny corner to form a pastry bag tip... remember to cut off a tiny amount so that the tip will fit into the end of the manicotti.

You can always cut more, but if you cut too much it will be difficult to fill the manicotti tubes.

Squeeze the filling about 1/2 into the manicotti tube and then turn it and fill the other side.

Place each filled manicotti in a single layer in the sauce.

The Topping

Cover all the filled manicotti tubes with the remaining Béchamel "Cheese" Sauce.

Bake
Bake the Spinach Manicotti uncovered for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

After baking for 15 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes over the top and continue baking.

Presentation
Use a large spatula to lift two manicotti at a time for serving.

Sprinkle each serving with the chopped Italian parsley.

Serve with a great bottle of wine, a fresh green salad and some fresh garlic bread and your meal is complete.

Who said mid-week fine dining at home was impossible?

Call some friends and encourage each other over a great meal!