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Raw, Vegan Manicotti

October 16, 2013 Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Raw

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Zucchini marinara, as all of you know, is a staple in my home. It’s a simple recipe: zucchini ribbons, mixed with fresh raw marinara sauce, chunks of creamy avocado, and fresh herbs. I keep raw marinara in my freezer at all times, which makes it easy for me to prepare this simple bowl at a moment’s notice. Lately, I’ve been trying to give a little more attention to other forms of raw “pasta.” Next week, I’ll be sharing a new recipe with zucchini tagliatelle, and today I’m here with a little how-to for zucchini manicotti. This dish looks incredibly beautiful, but if you prepare your cashew cheese and marinara ahead of time, it’s actually one of the easiest raw centerpiece dishes you can make.

To begin preparing this dish, you’ll want to follow the instructions given in my zucchini tagliatelle tutorial: use a mandolin or a peeler to shave long, very thin strips of zucchini. But unlike the tagliatelle, don’t cut those strips in half. Lay three of the strips on a flat, clean surface, overlapping slightly, like so:

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Place about 2-3 tablespoons of basic cashew cheese (recipe below) toward one end of the strips.

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Roll up, starting from the side closest to the cashew cheese.

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Tuck the loose ends on the bottom of your manicotti roll underneath it.

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And plate!

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So, so pretty!

Here’s the complete recipe:

Print Recipe

Raw, Vegan Manicotti

Ingredients

  • 1 large zucchini or summer squash
  • 1 1/2 cups cashews soaked overnight and drained of soak water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1 very large red or yellow bell pepper deseeded
  • ¾ cup cherry or roma tomatoes
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Generous sprinkle dried thyme
  • Generous sprinkle dried oregano
  • ¼ cup basil
  • 2 pitted dates

Instructions

  • 1. To make the pasta, slice zucchini into long, flat, and thin strips using a vegetable peeler or mandolin (see instructions in this post).
  • 2. Place the cashews, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse a few times. Turn the motor on and drizzle in water until you have a very smooth, but still thick and spreadable texture (about 1/3-1/2 cup of water). It should take a full minute or two. Stop a few times to scrape the bowl down as you go. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • 3. Blend the pepper, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, salt, thyme, oregano, basil, and dates in a high speed blender till thick and smooth.
  • 4. Follow the instructions above to assemble the manicotti. Top each roll raw marinara. Sprinkle with basil, if desired, and serve.

You can flavor the cashew cheese you use with sundried tomatoes, herbs, or spices to change the flavor of the manicotti. Pesto or cashew cream will also make very good toppings!

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This dish certainly turns out best when you use seasonal ingredients. If you’re still enjoying fresh tomatoes or zucchini where you are, now’s the time to make it! But I must confess that I like the dish so much I’ve made it through all seasons. It makes an elegant appetizer for entertaining, or a lovely centerpiece, so long as you serve it with a bountiful salad, legumes, roast veggies, or other delicious accompaniments of your choosing.

Enjoy!!

xo

 

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Categories: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Raw Tags: Dinner, raw, vegan, zucchini pasta

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Next Post: Kabocha Squash and Tofu Curry. Plus, Natural Vitality Winner! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenni says

    October 16, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    I’m not really a fan of raw zucchini, which is unfortunate because it’s used in a lot of great raw dishes. But these look so amazing I’m thinking I should give it another shot! It’s interesting how certain vegetables I actually prefer raw, but then there are others like zucchini (and broccoli) that I just can’t seem to get myself to like unless they’re cooked. (One of my most catastrophic first world problems.)

    Reply
    • janae @ bring joy says

      October 16, 2013 at 3:41 pm

      Don’t feel bad. I’m not a fan of raw broccoli either, unless it’s *completely* drenched in some delicious, high-fat dressing.

      Reply
  2. janae @ bring joy says

    October 16, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    If I could have any culinary-inspired wish granted, it would be to have a year round garden of tomatoes, zucchini, & basil. So many ways to use zucchini, it’s the wonder veggie. I’ve never tried any other raw pasta other than the noodle kind, but this seems so simple, I wonder why I haven’t tried it before. And you’re right, so lovely!

    (Also, I love your fingernails. I wish I could paint mine, but with my lifestyle the paint starts chipping about an hour after I’ve painted them.)

    Reply
    • Gena says

      October 16, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      Well, this photo caught me with fresh nails 😉 With all the food prep I do, mine chip right away, too!

      I wish the same, re: summer veggies. Do your warm, Texas temperatures enable such a thing to come true?

      Reply
  3. Hannah says

    October 16, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    Guess what else is pretty?

    You.

    Reply
  4. The Peace Patch says

    October 16, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    Beautifully done…it would be fun to alternate them with yellow zucchini manicotti too! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Elisabeth says

    October 16, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    You have proved once again that raw food preparation does not have to be time-consuming! This looks much prettier and easier to make than traditional manicotti. I will definitely try this soon as it is still hovering at about 80 degrees where I live!

    Reply
  6. hannah says

    October 16, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    I’ve recently discovered how great it is to add a few goji berries to a raw tomato sauce, perfect as tomato season ends and a little extra sweetness is need. Thanks for sharing such a gorgeous recipe as ever Gena x

    Reply
  7. Liz S. says

    October 17, 2013 at 1:24 am

    Beautiful, better version of the traditional Italian pasta dish. Yum!

    Love your nail polish, by the way 😀

    Reply
  8. Mizpah @ The Raw Food Solution says

    October 17, 2013 at 5:58 am

    This is almost exactly the same as a recipe I created when I was studying at Living Light! It was a big hit with the group.

    Much more interesting than regular raw zucchini marinara.

    Reply
  9. Ali says

    October 17, 2013 at 8:56 am

    So pretty! And I love your black nails, thinking of getting me some black polish too!

    Reply
  10. The Delicate Place (@misathemeb) says

    October 17, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    i love every single ingredient in this recipe! i’ve been waiting for this haha. i had a similar dish at eden and have been wanting to recreate it since! thanks gena 🙂

    Reply
  11. Katrin - therawfoodsisters.com says

    October 18, 2013 at 1:25 am

    How pretty it looks and love the ingredients! Mmhmm thank you for your never ending inspiration. Many hugs from Sweden!

    Reply
  12. Leonie says

    October 18, 2013 at 1:46 am

    They look really good and I love the idea of keeping your marinara in the freezer to have on hand at all times. Always looking for time saving ideas.

    Reply
  13. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says

    October 18, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    This looks unbelievable! I have always made zucchini ribbons topped with marinara but never thought to make manicotti! You are a genius and I can’t wait to try these 🙂

    Reply
    • Gena says

      October 19, 2013 at 6:44 am

      They are delish! Enjoy.

      Reply
  14. kimmythevegan says

    October 20, 2013 at 10:18 am

    This sounds great! I love this raw version of an old favourite =)

    Reply
  15. Randi (laughfrodisiac) says

    October 23, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    I had this exact dish, it seems, at Vegehop in Zagreb over the summer and have been craving it ever since. So easy to make, I don’t know why I haven’t yet. But I will be making yours!

    Reply
  16. Tom Salamone says

    October 24, 2013 at 9:21 am

    Gena: Grandson (3 1/2 years old) is vegetarian + eggs + cheese, all organic. I make him kale chips which he loves but my recipe is pretty basic. You mentioned kale, so the request – a fresh and tasty kale chip recipe, please? I will also make your vegan raw manicotti. Sounds delicious. Thanks for your time. Regards, Tom

    Reply
  17. Cassie says

    March 24, 2015 at 10:13 am

    Oooh, I love raw zucchini noodles!

    Reply
  18. Amy says

    March 30, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Do you know how many calories this recipe has per serving?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hemp seed pesto | The Full Helping says:
    September 11, 2016 at 6:26 am

    […] mixing it up with a recipe that works nicely in savory food. I recently used the pesto in my raw, vegan manicotti, for example (pictured below). It was delicious, and the hemp flavor was definitely not […]

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Gena. I'm a registered dietitian (RD), food blogger, recipe developer, and cookbook author. In this space you'll find nourishing vegan recipes, reflections on mindfulness and self care, and resources to help you explore an informed and compassionate relationship with food.

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