Vegan Manicotti

I love CARBS!! Pasta is seriously my weakness in life and during pregnancy I have never wanted it more! I few weeks ago manicotti was literally the only thing that I thought about… Luckily I have a super healthy, super vegan recipe that makes my soul dance!! Like for reals, I'm dancing right now just thinking about eating this meal!! Yum, yum, YUMMMM! On top of actually tasting really good, it has zero added oil, no added sugar! Now, I know there is the ongoing great soy debate, but my research tells me that non-gmo soy in it's whole form[tofu, miso, tempeh] is a great addition to your diet 2-3 times a week. Tofu is a great sauce of protein, calcium, and iron, all super important for your health, but even more so when you are carrying a little one!! Enjoy!!

Serves 2 (doubles easily)

8 manicotti noodles

2-3 cups of Sandy’s red sauce

“Ricotta” Filling

1 package organic[ALWAYS] super firm tofu, pressed*

2 cups frozen kale, defrosted and strained

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of dried basil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the noodles until they are mostly cooked, but still have a more crunch than al dente about 8 minutes. They will finish cooking in the oven, you don’t want soggy noodles. Heat the kale up and strain out all the extra water. In a food processor or blender mix all of the ricotta ingredients until it’s a smooth paste resembling cheese. Stuff cooled noodles with the filling. I like to use a spoon to push the filling all the way through. No one wants a bite without filling, boo. Cover with sauce and pop in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a salad and extra sauce!

*Pressing the tofu is important for this dish, you don’t want any moisture from the tofu to ruin the consistency of the “ricotta” filling. So I wrap the tofu in a few layers of paper towels then a kitchen towel. I place a heavy pan on top of the tofu with a few heavy cans and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Presto!