Name: Creamy Vegan Pesto Cannelloni
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 onion (finely diced); 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 large carrot (finely diced); 1 courgette (finely diced); 200 g mushrooms (finely diced); 500 g vegan mince; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 150 ml vegan red wine; 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes; 8 tsp vegan stock powder; 1 tbsp maple syrup (or agave); Salt and pepper (to taste); You can use lasagne sheets if you prefer (layer in the usual way); 16 approx. tubes dry cannelloni; If you’d like to cheat at this stage then use 500g vegan white sauce/ Béchamel; 4 tbsp vegan spread; 4 tbsp plain flour; 500 ml unsweetened soya milk; 2 tsp Dijon or English mustard; ½ tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg; Salt and pepper (to taste); 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional); 190 g approx. vegan pesto or homemade pesto; Option to add cheese (choose your favorite melting variety); 200 g Greek Style (grated or sliced); 5 tbsp Parmesan Alternative

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Spice up your next pasta night with this hearty recipe. If you're short on time, feel free to use supermarket-ready sauce, but if not, we've got all the steps to make it from scratch!

Duration1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 5 mins

Prep Time10 mins

Servings servings

Ingredients

Mince

1 onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large carrot finely diced
1 courgette finely diced
200 g mushrooms finely diced
500 g vegan mince
1 tbsp tomato puree
150 ml vegan red wine
800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
8 tsp vegan stock powder
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

You can use lasagne sheets if you prefer layer in the usual way
16 approx. tubes dry cannelloni

Béchamel

If you’d like to cheat at this stage then use 500g vegan white sauce/ Béchamel
4 tbsp vegan spread
4 tbsp plain flour
500 ml unsweetened soya milk
2 tsp Dijon or English mustard
½ tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
190 g approx. vegan pesto or homemade pesto

Topping

Option to add cheese choose your favorite melting variety
200 g Greek Style grated or sliced
5 tbsp Parmesan Alternative

Instructions

Mince

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
In a large wok or saucepan, fry the onion in a little oil until lightly golden.
Add the courgette, carrot and mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
Stir in the tomato puree, red wine, tinned tomatoes, syrup (or sugar) and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes. Set aside and leave to cool slightly.

Béchamel

Using a medium saucepan, melt the spread on a low heat.
Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the flour until you have a paste.
Return the pan to the heat, turn up to medium and very gradually add the soya milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the mustard, nutmeg and optional extras. Use a balloon whisk to get rid of lumps if necessary.
Try the sauce and add salt to your taste. Stir through the pesto (bought or homemade). Set aside.

Assembly

Using a baking tray (12″x10″x2″ approx.), pour half of the bechamel and spread evenly accross the bottom of the tray.
Stuff the cannelloni with the mince mixture using a teaspoon and line them up over the bechamel layer until the tray is completely covered.
If you have any leftover mince then add another layer over the cannelloni tubes. The rest you can freeze to make a spag bol.
Pour the remaining bechamel over the top and spread evenly. Top off with the cheese of your choice.
Cover the top of the dish in foil and place in the oven.
Cook for 30 minutes, remove the foil and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Serve with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic bread and salad. Enjoy

This recipe was republished with permission from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club. Find the original recipe here.