This Vegan Manicotti with Tofu Ricotta and Roasted Red Pepper is rich and comforting. It's simple to make, yet so delicious!
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"This is my fiancee and I's FAVORITE favorite FAVORITE dish. When I found this recipe 2 months ago I was excited but I NEVER expected a vegan dish to taste so damn good. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS!!!! - Kelley"
This Vegan Manicotti is a fun alternative to lasagna. It is pure comfort food. You'd never know that it is vegan!
It's made with a roasted red pepper and tofu ricotta filling, and topped with marinara sauce and vegan mozzarella.
It's an easy meal to throw together. The whole family will love it.
The filling is so good I made it into a Cheesy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Dip.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- It is rich and comforting.
- The filling can also be used as a dip or sandwich spread. Make a double batch and use it for lunch.
- It's a fun alternative to lasagna. Get the kiddos involved with filling the manicotti!
🧾 Ingredients
- Tofu ricotta: Has a creamy texture and cheesy taste. I used homemade tofu ricotta but you could also use store-bought vegan ricotta cheese.
- Red bell pepper: Adds a sweet taste. You could use spinach instead, like I did with my Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups.
- Olive oil: To roast the red pepper.
- Manicotti noodles: I used brown rice noodles, but you can use your favorite gluten-free pasta. Cannelloni noodles, large pasta shells, or lasagna noodles would also work well. If you use lasagna noodles, you'll need to adjust the amounts. See my Vegan Spinach Lasagna.
- Marinara sauce: Use whatever your favorite is; you could use one with roasted garlic or other additions. You could also use tomato sauce, but if you do I would add some herbs and spices.
- Vegan mozzarella: Adds cheesy flavor.
To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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🔪 Instructions
Step 1: First, make the tofu ricotta by mixing firm tofu, nutritional yeast, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a food processor. This can be made the day before.
Step 2: Roast a red pepper by cutting it in half, laying it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil on top. Roast in the oven until charred.
Step 3: After it cools, peel most of the skin off. (Some charred skin adds a smoky flavor.) Slice, and mix with tofu ricotta. You can also roast the red pepper the day before to make things easier.
Step 4: Cook manicotti noodles as per instructions. I only cooked mine for 4 minutes because they will be baked later.
Step 5: Fill a baking dish with marinara sauce. Using a piping container, piping bag, or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off, fill each manicotti noodle with vegan ricotta mixture and place it on top of the marinara sauce.
Step 6: Top with marinara sauce and shredded vegan mozzarella, if using. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven.
Other Recipes with Tofu Ricotta
💭 Tips
- Since there are a few steps to this recipe, I find it easier to do a couple of the steps ahead of time. The tofu ricotta and roasted red pepper can be made the day before.
- If you are using a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off, place it in a measuring cup to fill it.
- Before filling the manicotti, you're going to want to push all the filling to one corner of the bag. Use a spatula or other kitchen tool to press on the bag and move it to the corner. This will ensure you're getting all the filling.
- If you have a couple of extra noodles that didn't get filled, you can fill them with shredded vegan mozzarella so they don't go to waste.
- Pour the marinara sauce on top of the noodles. The marinara sauce is not only for taste, but the noodles need moisture so they don't dry out.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. This prevents the noodles from drying out and getting crispy. The aluminum foil acts as a tent to steam the dish.
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! You can also make the tofu ricotta and the roasted red pepper in advance and make the manicotti the day after.
I ate the vegan manicotti for about 5 days in a row and it tasted great each time.
🥡 Storage
This recipe will last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
❄️ Can I Freeze It?
Yes! Let the manicotti cool completely.
For individual portions, place in small freezer bags or airtight containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use cannelloni noodles, large pasta shells, or even lasagna noodles.
Vegan Pasta Recipes
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If you tried this Vegan Manicotti Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!
This Vegan Manicotti has a tofu ricotta and roasted red pepper filling that is to die for! The whole family will love this recipe.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Manicotti with Tofu Ricotta and Roasted Red Pepper
Equipment
- Piping bag or ziplock bag
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 red pepper (or a store-bought roasted red pepper)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Whole batch Tofu Ricotta
Manicotti
- 7 ounces manicotti noodles (about 16 noodles- more or less depending upon size of your noodles)
- 2 cups marinara sauce divided
- Chopped basil for garnish
- Shredded vegan mozzarella optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
Filling
- Slice red pepper in half. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil on top and spread around. Roast at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, or until charred. Let cool.
- When red pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. If there's some left on, that's fine, it adds a smoky flavor. Slice and mix with tofu ricotta in a food processor.
Manicotti
- Cook noodles as per instructions. Mine only needed to be cooked 4 minutes (since they'll be baked later).
- Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in a 9"x 13" baking dish. (My baking dish was smaller so I baked the manicotti in 2 batches.)
- Using a piping container, piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off, fill each noodle and place on marinara sauce filled baking dish.
- Top with 1 cup marinara sauce. If using, sprinkle shredded vegan mozzarella on top. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
- Top with chopped basil and serve.
Notes
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Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Scott says
I notice you say you're gluten-free. What type of noodles are you using for this recipe? I have been making home made pasta in a pasta maker with Bob's Gluten free flour.
I make a very similar vegan ricotta but instead of the nutritional yeast, which some health experts say to avoid, I add a cup of cashews ground up in the processor then add the tofu, lemon juice, etc.
Willow Moon says
For this recipe I used brown rice noodles.
Kelley Arney says
This is my fiancee and I's FAVORITE favorite FAVORITE dish. When I found this recipe 2 months ago I was excited but I NEVER expected a vegan dish to taste so damn good. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS!!!!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Kelley, I’m so glad both of you like it!
Tracey says
This looks delicious! Can I use jarred roasted red peppers? If so, how many? What's your fav vegan mozzarella to go on top?
Willow Moon says
Yes, you can use a jarred roasted red pepper. It would still be one pepper. I like Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella. I hope you enjoy the vegan manicotti!