Looking for a delicious family Italian dinner your whole family will adore? This vegan manicotti is going to be loved by everyone! You can make it all from scratch or use my kitchen time-savers depending on how much time you have to cook. This recipe will become your new go-to dairy-free comfort food!
This easy vegan manicotti recipe will have everyone ask for more!
This garlic cream veggie pasta casserole is a regular in our house, but also this vegan baked ziti for when I want something done quicker. This time I made baked vegan manicotti with tofu ricotta for a change!
This recipe is similar to my vegan lasagna roll-ups or this pasta bake with marinara and Alfredo, but uses manicotti noodles instead. Then, the vegan stuffed manicotti are covered with a delicious marinara sauce (or a roasted tomato and red pepper sauce) and drizzled with white sauce.
You can make this recipe super fast by using a store-bought marinara sauce and garnish with vegan mozzarella instead of blending the white sauce. But if you have a few extra minutes, then try making the sauces from scratch for a more authentic dish that's loaded with huge flavors.
It makes for such a delightful vegetarian pasta meal you can serve to anyone who loves Italian-inspired recipes.
Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️
Jump to:
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Very flavorful and satisfying, such a favorite meat-free comfort food recipe!
- It combines various fillings and sauces to create a stunning and harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
- Can be made ahead if you love to meal-prep
- Family-friendly and kids love it!
- Perfect meal to serve your guests, whether they are vegan or not
- Vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+substitutions)
- Manicotti shells pasta: manicotti are tubular-shaped pasta meant for stuffing. You should be able to find them in most grocery stores. Cannelloni noodles work just the same if that's all you can find (manicotti are ribbed vs cannelloni are smooth).
- Marinara sauce: you can make your own marinara sauce or use a jarred marinara for a quicker and easier version. I used 24 ounces of store-bought marinara to save some time.
- Cheese sauce topping: you can find the easy vegan white sauce recipe on the website. You can also swap for store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese shreds.
- Tofu: base to make the ricotta cheese filling. Use extra firm tofu or firm tofu. You will need a block of 14 or 16 ounces for this recipe.
- Canned white beans: I used cannellini beans, although navy or butter beans work too.
- Nutritional yeast: gives a mild cheese flavor to the vegan ricotta filling, try not to omit!
- Spices: I used a mix of dried oregano, onion powder and garlic powder. You can also use some Italian seasoning as well.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations to the recipe
You can also easily personalize your manicotti meal by swapping some of the ingredients and adding more to it. Here are a few ideas:
- No tofu: If you are looking for a soy-free recipe, then simply omit the tofu and use 2 cans of white beans instead. Or make a cashew ricotta! Also make sure the marinara you are using is soy-free.
- Veggie-filled: you can add more veggies to the ricotta filling for a boost in nutrients. Try adding some spinach, peas, kale, red pepper or broccoli. Cook the veggies first and remove the extra moisture before folding them in the ricotta. This caramelized onion and mushroom recipe would be amazing to add more veggies and flavor to the ricotta. Another easy way to boost this dish with more veggies is to use a hidden vegetable sauce, such as this roasted tomato and red pepper sauce!
- Pesto-flavored: add a few spoonfuls of pesto to the ricotta mixture to add more flavor and color too. You can use store-bought or make your own! Try this roasted red pepper pesto or this cashew pesto.
- Roasted garlic: for a robust garlic flavor, roast a head of garlic until soft and caramelized (at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, check out my garlic cream pasta), then mash it into the ricotta mixture.
🍽 How to make vegan manicotti with ricotta
➡️ Make the marinara sauce
You can make a marinara sauce from scratch using canned tomatoes following my recipe online OR simply grab a jar of marinara from the store.
➡️ Make the white Alfredo sauce topping
You can follow this vegan white sauce recipe OR simply use store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese.
➡️ You can use your favorite casserole dish for making this recipe (I used a large lasagna-style dish), although any kind will work as long as you have enough space for about 8-12 manicotti.
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the manicotti until al dente, which should be about 6-7 minutes. Once done, drain and rinse in cold water.
Step 2: Remove the excess water on the block of tofu, then roughly break it into large chunks and transfer it to a food processor. Add the white beans and then process until mostly smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, fresh garlic, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of salt.
Step 3: Process until smooth and add some water as needed (a few tablespoons at a time) to create a consistency that's similar to regular ricotta (check out the video below for a visual). Taste and adjust salt and other flavorings to your taste and set aside.
Step 4: Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out. Transfer the ricotta cheese into a large plastic bag (or a pastry bag) and cut a corner of the bag. One manicotti at a time, pipe the vegan ricotta mixture into the manicotti tubes.
Step 5: Place the filled manicotti in the baking dish and keep going until you are done with the noodles. Add the remaining marinara sauce on top of the noodles (1-2 cups).
Step 6: Drizzle some of the vegan white sauce over (you will have more than you need). Cover with some aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350ºF. Then, turn up the oven to 450ºF, uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes watching carefully.
⭐️ Find the detailed recipe down below in the recipe card!
💡 Expert tips
- Crush the garlic before adding it to the food processor to avoid larger chunks of raw garlic in the ricotta.
- It can be a little delicate to fill the manicotti pasta. To help the process, use a piping bag as described above opposed to using a spoon. Keeping the noodles al dente and not allowing them to overcook will also help them not be too fragile.
- Check on the manicotti noodles packaging as some are no-boil. You can use no-boil manicotti as well! In that case, be sure to completely cover the no-boil pasta with tomato sauce in the baking dish to ensure the noodles cook properly in the oven.
- If you cannot find manicotti noodles (or cannelloni noodles, which is simply a smooth version of the rigged manicotti noodles), then you can make this recipe using regular lasagna noodles. Check out my lasagna roll-ups recipe to see how I make them. Or, use large shell noodles!
➡️ What to serve with vegetarian manicotti
While this dish is a satisfying meal on its own, it also pairs beautifully with a variety of sides and garnishes.
Try pairing it with garlic bread, whole wheat rolls or focaccia.
A light salad pairs well with the creamy and warm manicotti pasta bake that can feel heavy. This fresh kale apple salad would be great, but also try a simple green salad with a basil balsamic dressing or a vegan honey mustard vinaigrette.
If you do not want to make the white sauce and don't have vegan cheese on hand, then you can also make this vegan parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the baked pasta. Or simply combine some breadcrumbs with seasonings, nutritional yeast, a little olive oil and dollop over the dish before baking for a nice little crust. This vegan cauliflower mac and cheese will show you how I do that!
❗️ Storage tips
This manicotti recipe is such a great make-ahead meal as it stores well. Keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
To freeze leftover vegan manicotti, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Let the manicotti thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. It can be a great idea to freeze the leftovers in individualized portions for easy grab-and-go.
Ideally, try to reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also use the microwave for a quicker leftover meal.
❓ FAQs
The sauces and ricotta filling are naturally gluten-free. Look for GF manicotti noodles to make this dish GF!
The best way to keep a great texture for this dish is to cook the noodles al dente and not all the way through. I recommend you cook them 1 minute less than the al dente cooking time on the packaging. They will cook more in the oven!
Yes! Check out my cashew ricotta cheese for a soy-free ricotta or simply omit the tofu in this recipe and use 2 cans of white beans instead (you might need to adjust the flavoring accordingly).
Yes, absolutely! You can assemble the whole dish, cover it very well and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking. I recommend taking it out of the fridge for 1-2 hours before baking to bring it to room temperature. If you bake it straight from the fridge, then bake for longer.
Related baked recipes
I hope you like this vegan manicotti recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Manicotti with Tofu Ricotta (Easy Recipe)
Equipment
- Large baking dish
- Large pot
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 8-12 manicotti noodles (or cannelloni noodles) - see notes
- 3 cups marinara sauce - store-bought or homemade marinara
- handful of fresh basil - roughly chopped, optional, for garnish
For the homemade ricotta filling
- 1 block extra firm tofu (14 or 16 ounces)
- 15 oz canned white beans (cannellini or navy) - rinsed and drained
- ½ lemon - juiced
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1½-2 tsp salt - or to taste
- 5-7 tbsp water - to thin out consistency as needed
For the cheese topping (or use store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese shreds)
- 1 batch vegan white sauce - find the white sauce recipe here
Instructions
- Start by preparing the marinara (if not using store-bought) and vegan white sauce (if not using store-bought mozzarella shreds). Set aside. Both can be made ahead!
- Cook the manicotti noodles in boiling water according to the packaging. Make sure to keep them al dente. Once done, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the ricotta: Drain the tofu and pat dry the block very well using a clean towel. Transfer to a food processor. Drain and rinse the can of white beans, then also transfer to the food processor. Process until mostly smooth.
- Then, add the rest of the ricotta ingredients except for the water in the food (crushed garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt). Process until combined.
- Add about 2-3 tablespoons of water and process again. Use a spatula to scrape the walls of the food processor and add more water + process again until the desired consistency. You are looking to reach a texture similar to classic ricotta. Taste and adjust salt, garlic and lemon to your preference and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish (I used a lasagna dish). Transfer the ricotta to a large plastic bag and cut one of the corners (or use a piping bag). One manicotti noodle at a time, use the piping bag to fill it up and then transfer it to the dish with the sauce. Keep going until you are out of noodles.
- Add more marinara sauce over the manicotti and drizzle some of the vegan white sauce over (or simply sprinkle some vegan mozzarella cheese). You might have more white sauce than you need.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, turn up the heat to 450ºF, uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven (350º, about 10-15 minutes) or use the microwave for a quicker leftover meal.
- Check on the manicotti noodles packaging as some are no-boil. In that case, be sure to completely cover the no-boil pasta with tomato sauce in the baking dish to ensure the noodles cook properly in the oven. I used 8 manicotti for this recipe, but if you use a larger dish than mine, then you might be able to make 10 or 12 manicotti with this recipe (there is enough ricotta for more!).
- You can also use cannelloni noodles, which are simply a smoother version of the ribbed manicotti. You can make this recipe using regular lasagna noodles. Check out my lasagna roll-ups recipe to see how I make them. Or, use large shell noodles!
- It can be a little delicate to fill the manicotti pasta. To help the process, use a piping bag as described above opposed to using a spoon. Keeping the noodles al dente and not allowing them to overcook will also help them not be too fragile.
- Feel free to add more cooked veggies to the ricotta filling, such as spinach, mushrooms, broccoli or onion.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving (2-3 manicotti per person) provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Leave a Reply