Spinach and Almond Ricotta Cannelloni

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on old favourties. Here we show you how to make your own stuffed cannelloni dish – a hearty Italian classic.

Top Tip: Although time consuming, this recipe contains several key components which are incredibly useful in plant based cooking. The tomato sauce is invaluable to use over pasta, on pizza or as a dip. The almond ricotta can be used as a spread for bread, bagels and crackers, on salads or as a filling for a baked potato with plenty of chives. The cashew based cheese sauce is perfect for macaroni, nachos or baked cauliflower cheese.

Skill level: Medium

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Servings: Serves: 6

Nutritional Information:

Per 100g

Calories 229, Fat 15g, Saturates 1.6g, Carbohydrates 11g, Sugars 3.6g, Protein 9.1g, Salt 0.16g

Ingredients

For the Almond Ricotta:

420g (3 cups)

Blanched Almonds

240ml (1 cup)

Cold Water

15g (1/3 cup)

Nutritional Yeast

2 tsp

Garlic Powder

1/2

lemon, juice only

Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

For the Tomato and Basil Sauce:

1 tbsp

Olive Oil

500g (2 generous cups)

Passata

1 x 400g tin

Chopped Tomatoes

red onion, peeled and finely chopped

Cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp

Dried Italian Herbs

125ml (1/2 cup)

Red Wine

2 tbsp

Balsamic Vinegar

2 tsp

Sugar (any)

A large handful

Fresh Basil

Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

For the Cheese Topping:

1 large

Potato, peeled and diced

carrots, peeled and sliced

1 small

onion, peeled and roughly chopped

15g (1/3 cup)

Nutritional Yeast

1 tbsp

Dijon Mustard

150g (1 cup)

cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

2 tsp

Tapioca Starch

Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

(To taste)

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

For the Almond Parmesan:

140g (1/2 cup)

whole almonds

11g (1/4 cup)

Nutritional Yeast

1 tsp

Sea Salt Flakes

1 tsp

Garlic Powder

To Make the Cannelloni:

Canneloni Tubes

250g (generous 1 cup)

fresh or frozen spinach

A large baking dish

A piping bag or freezer food bag

Method

Place the ingredients for the parmesan into a blender and pulse until you have a crumbly texture. Set aside.

Make the almond ricotta by adding all the ingredients to a high performance blender and processing until as smooth as possible. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil and gently sweat the onions with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the vinegar and wine. Let this bubble and reduce slightly for a few minutes.

Add the rest of the tomato sauce ingredients to the pan, reserving half of the basil to add at the end. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook gently for 30 minutes.

Cook or defrost the spinach in a microwave until wilted. Transfer to clean kitchen towels and squeeze out the excess water. Chop the spinach and mix with the ricotta, along with 3 tbsp of almond parmesan and some salt and pepper.

Fill a piping bag or freezer bag with the spinach and ricotta mix, snip off the corner and use this to fill all 16 cannelloni tubes.

For the cheese sauce, boil the potato, carrots and onion for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 235ml (1 cup) of the cooking liquid.

Add the cooked vegetables to a clean blender along with the drained cashews and the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved water. Process until smooth and silky. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4, 350°F). Remove the large basil sprig from the tomato sauce and add the remaining fresh basil, finely chopped.

Add a layer of tomato and basil sauce to the bottom of the roasting dish, followed by half the filled cannelloni tubes. Add another layer of tomato sauce, followed by the remaining cannelloni. Top with the final layer of tomato sauce and pour over the cheese topping. Sprinkle with parmesan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving with a rocket salad.

Spinach and Almond Ricotta Cannelloni

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on old favourties. Here we show you how to make your own stuffed cannelloni dish – a hearty Italian classic.