This recipe uses both red and white base sauces and tofu ricotta to make a perfect plant-based take on a traditional recipe.
Steps
1
Rolling the Dough
Ingredients
1 recipe Fresh Egg-less Pasta Dough
To roll the Fresh Eggless Pasta Dough, lightly sprinkle the rollers of a pasta machine and dough with flour. Flatten the dough slightly and run it through the widest setting. Fold the dough in half and continue to roll through this setting about 10 times, dusting with flour as needed.
Continue to roll the dough through the machine, adjusting the settings, until you reach 1/8-inch thickness.
Next, even out the pasta sheets, cut into 5 or 6–inch wide strips and spread out on a clean surface.
2
Filling & Baking the Manicotti
Ingredients
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta
1 recipe Basic Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Basic White Sauce
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
To fill the manicotti, spoon a few tablespoons of the Tofu Ricotta onto each piece of pasta. Press the filling together, add a bit of moisture to the edges of the pasta then roll into a cylinder, tucking in the filling as you roll.
*Note, to cut back on cooking time slightly, it is suggested to heat the sauce in a small sauce pot when using to layer the manicotti, rather than doing so with a cold sauce.
To assemble the dish for baking, spoon about a 1/2 cup of the Basic Tomato Sauce into a baking dish, spreading the mixture out to coat the bottom. Place the manicotti into the sauce, seam side down, then cover the pasta with more tomato sauce. Finish with a drizzle of Basic White Sauce on the top.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce and manicotti are heated through. Cover the baking pan to avoid a dry surface.
Once done, let cool for a few minutes before serving.
18 Comments
Kathleen S•
I love this recipe. Very tasty. Will the pasta hold up if the complete dish is made several hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to heat and serve.
Yes, this dish will certainly hold up for a few hours before being baked. Also, what I like to do when I make this recipe is double or triple it so that I can freeze a tray for a later date and enjoy one for a meal that day as well. If frozen from just assembled, allow to defrost overnight before baking. Hope you enjoyed the recipe, it is one of my favorites in the course.
Cheers,
Chad
It would be really helpful if a weight was given for the amount of tofu to use in the filling as I suspect a block of tofu could differ from country to country.
The standard block of tofu referenced is a 350 gram package (approx. 12 ounces), once drained. This seems to be the standard size for most manufacturers in the US.
Hope that is helpful,
- Chad
Hi Angela - Tofu is a product made from soy, used in many Asian cuisines for 2000 years.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tofu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu
In cases like this, when you just need a definition, the internet can be a really great tool. If you need more information or context so you can use tofu, let us know. ~Ken
Hi Diana,
Use a conventional roller and roll the dough rather thin, mimicking a pasta roller. This result will give you nice balance and good mouth feel in the finished manicotti.
Eric
The pasta came out thick and "doughy" and "chewy" for a lack of better word. How do I fix that? Was it overcooked? I made it quite thick, did that contribute to the chewiness? What do you do with the excess semolina and flour
Hi Diana -
With regard to your question about why your pasta came out thick, doughy and chewy, it's a good idea in most cases to allow your fresh pasta some time to "rest" (approx. 30 - 60 minutes is typically good). Allowing your fresh pasta dough to rest will help eliminate both the doughy and chewy mouthfeel. Also, it sounds like you can remedy the "thickness" issue by rolling your dough out thinner - a french rolling pin can usually do the trick vs. the typical rolling pins with a rolling barrel and 2 handles on the end (there are no handles on a french rolling pin). With regard to any left-over flour from your fresh pasta-making process, personally, I like to hold onto it and use it to "dust" my rolling pin for future recipes - I keep a labeled/dated mason jar in my cabinet.... I hope this response has been helpful Diana and thank you for learning with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
Hi Diana! So great question. I have attached a link to Williams-Sonoma so that you can see some options. Many folks enjoy the electric machines available today. I use an attachment (manual) on my Kitchen Aid Mixer. Honestly, if you are making fresh pasta for your family and guests, the QuickLook should suffice - it's affordable and provides you enough manual interaction - allowing you to really feel the dough, etc. Happy shopping and cooking! I hope this helps! Chef Kirk
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/electrics/electrics-pasta-machines/?Kenshoo=cfebf1b3-7b5a-43d7-8a34-9257bc50d886&cm_ven=BrandSearch&cm_cat=MSN&cm_pla=Brand_Search_Generic_BMM&cm_ite=%2Bwilliams%20%2Bsonoma%20%2Bpasta%20%2Bmaker
I am serving roasted pepper pesto crostini as an appetizer and this manicotti as a main. Can you suggest a side dish that would go well with the manicotti?
Thanks!
A salad would balance the heaviness of the manicotti. A leafy greens salad with some bitter or spicy leaves, or a beet salad with a vinaigrette dressing would be nice.
Please i cant find nutritional yeast in my country can i remove it from the recipe or shall i substitute it ? If so what is the alternative thanks in advance
Hello, Nayera: thanks for writing. It does have different names--savory yeast flakes--brufax--yeshi, to name a few. If you cannot locate it, 2-3 teaspoons of Brewer's yeast will work, although, it may have a slightly bitter taste. Anymore questions, let us know. Thank you, Char
Can I stuff, roll and refrigerate the raw manicotti 1 day prior to cooking? Will the dough expand or retract overnight with the filling inside? I'm making these for Easter brunch so I would like to prepare them the day prior and bake them on Easter day. fyi: I don't have Semolina so I'll be using a mix of rice flour and whole wheat instead of the semolina.
Hello, Charisse: Good to hear from you. You can make the manicotti in advance, the trick is double-covering the container to prevent any air entering, which can dry the dough out. You could roll out the dough, and prepare the square pasta, and layer each layer with parchment paper, then, wrapping the entire stack together. I would fill them just before preparing them for the oven, As for the flour--ideally, semolina will work best because it has a high protein and gluten content that all-purpose flower. As fort the substitution for the semolina, whole wheat flour and rice flour should work well. Good luck making the dish. Let us know how it turns out. Cheers, Char
Chad S •Yes, this dish will certainly hold up for a few hours before being baked. Also, what I like to do when I make this recipe is double or triple it so that I can freeze a tray for a later date and enjoy one for a meal that day as well. If frozen from just assembled, allow to defrost overnight before baking. Hope you enjoyed the recipe, it is one of my favorites in the course. Cheers, Chad
Renee L •It would be really helpful if a weight was given for the amount of tofu to use in the filling as I suspect a block of tofu could differ from country to country.
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Angela - Tofu is a product made from soy, used in many Asian cuisines for 2000 years. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tofu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu In cases like this, when you just need a definition, the internet can be a really great tool. If you need more information or context so you can use tofu, let us know. ~Ken
Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Diana, Use a conventional roller and roll the dough rather thin, mimicking a pasta roller. This result will give you nice balance and good mouth feel in the finished manicotti. Eric
Kirk B •Hi Diana - With regard to your question about why your pasta came out thick, doughy and chewy, it's a good idea in most cases to allow your fresh pasta some time to "rest" (approx. 30 - 60 minutes is typically good). Allowing your fresh pasta dough to rest will help eliminate both the doughy and chewy mouthfeel. Also, it sounds like you can remedy the "thickness" issue by rolling your dough out thinner - a french rolling pin can usually do the trick vs. the typical rolling pins with a rolling barrel and 2 handles on the end (there are no handles on a french rolling pin). With regard to any left-over flour from your fresh pasta-making process, personally, I like to hold onto it and use it to "dust" my rolling pin for future recipes - I keep a labeled/dated mason jar in my cabinet.... I hope this response has been helpful Diana and thank you for learning with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk
Karin D •I am serving roasted pepper pesto crostini as an appetizer and this manicotti as a main. Can you suggest a side dish that would go well with the manicotti? Thanks!
Nayera H •Please i cant find nutritional yeast in my country can i remove it from the recipe or shall i substitute it ? If so what is the alternative thanks in advance
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hello, Nayera: thanks for writing. It does have different names--savory yeast flakes--brufax--yeshi, to name a few. If you cannot locate it, 2-3 teaspoons of Brewer's yeast will work, although, it may have a slightly bitter taste. Anymore questions, let us know. Thank you, Char
Charisse L •Can I stuff, roll and refrigerate the raw manicotti 1 day prior to cooking? Will the dough expand or retract overnight with the filling inside? I'm making these for Easter brunch so I would like to prepare them the day prior and bake them on Easter day. fyi: I don't have Semolina so I'll be using a mix of rice flour and whole wheat instead of the semolina.