Cannelloni is a stuffed pasta dish from Italy – I call this plant-based version that I created “cannelloni dreams”.
The name is inspired by the time when I was 19 years old and used to work at an italian restaurant. I had just graduated from school and moved into my first apartment. I didn’t have a lot of money and my cooking skills weren’t the best, so when I got a plate of freshly made cannelloni after my shift it was pure happiness. The restaurants name was “Sogni” which in italian means “dreams”, so thereof the name “Cannelloni dreams”.
The perfect summer starter, this recipe has a green twist: the cannellonis are made from thin zucchini slices, rolled and filled with homemade tofu ricotta and topped with grated plant-based parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and fresh basil. Don’t you just love the colours?
Recipe for 25 small cannellonis
Ingredients
– 1 zucchini
– Salad, olive oil, basil and cherry tomatoes for decoration
Filling:
– 1 block tofu, 270 grams
– 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or 1/2 cup grated vegan parmesan cheese
– Salt and pepper
– 1 cup chopped spinach
Tomato sauce:
– 1 can of crushed tomatoes
– 1/2 minced yellow onion
– 2 garlic cloves
– Salt and pepper
– 1 tbsp tomato puré
– 1 cup water
Instructions:
Cut the tofu in small pieces and blend it with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast/vegan parmesan, chopped spinach, salt and pepper. Mix until you achieve a fine texture.
Cut the zucchini in thin slices and put a small piece of the tofu filling and wrap to look like the rolls in the pictures.
Heat the minced yellow union with garlic, salt and pepper until it gets a nice golden colour. Then add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes and water. Let it cook for a few minutes.
Put half of the tomato sauce in a baking dish and then place the cannellonis on top. Put grated parmesan on the rolls and then add the rest of the sauce.
Let it cook in the owen for about 20 minutes and then serve on a bed of crispy fresh salad, sweet cherry tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Have a great summer!
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