Manicotti With Meat

Spinach Manicotti with White Walnut Sauce

Spinach Manicotti With White Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 12 manicotti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup toasted walnut pieces
• 1 cup soft tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish
3. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the manicotti over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes
4. Drain well and run under cold water
5. Set aside
6. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat
7. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5minutes
8. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible and add to the shallots
9. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste and cook 5 minutes, stirring to blend flavors
10. Add the extra-firm tofu and stir to blend well
11. Set aside
12. In a food processor, process the walnuts until finely ground
13. Add the soft tofu, nutritional yeast, soy milk and salt and pepper to taste
14. Process until smooth
15. Spread a layer of the walnut sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish
16. Fill the manicotti with the stuffing
17. Arrange the stuffed manicotti in single layer in the baking dish
18. Spoon the remaining sauce on top
19. Cover with foil and bake until hot, about 30 minutes
20. Uncover, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake 10 more minutes to lightly brown the top
21. Serve immediately