Vegan MoFo #27 – There are only a few days left in November, and 2010 for that matter – can you believe it?! Here is my contribution for the last Saturday of the Vegan Month of Food. I veganized and added a few ingredients to this recipe from a 1995 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. Using thinly-sliced eggplant is such a creative way to make cannelloni and it results in a low-carb, wheat-free version which is nice and light.
If you don’t like the somewhat tough skin of roasted eggplants, feel free to peel it before broiling. If you don’t like eggplant altogether, you can still use the filling with regular manicotti pasta shells. I’ve used this filling for my regular vegan cannelloni recipe many times and it tastes great!
As per the original recipe, “if you have extra filling leftover, you can use it as a sandwich spread, or thin it with some water and toss it with hot pasta to make a creamy-pesto alfredo type sauce“.
Low-Carb Vegan Cannelloni (Manicotti)
This vegan cannelloni is low-carb, yet delicious. You won’t miss the cheese, or the traditional pasta! Vegan / Gluten-Free
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch thick slices
- 2 cups tomato (pasta) sauce
Filling Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups firm tofu
- 2 tbsp Tofutti cream cheese (optional)
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed parsley
- 1/2 cup loosely packed spinach
- 1 tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts
- 1 tsp lemon rind
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Puree all filling ingredients in a food processor fitted with a standard blade. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Salt eggplant slices and let sit 30 minutes. Rinse, drain and blot dry.
- Lightly spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray; arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on sheet. Broil eggplant 2 to 3 inches from heat until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread about 1/2 cup marinara sauce on a 9- by-12-inch baking dish. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons filling in center of each eggplant slice; roll. Arrange rolls in baking dish, seam-side down. Top rolls with remaining sauce. Bake 45 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and heated through.
Notes
Adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine
