Recipe

Servings: 8/10 people

Time: 30 min making + 1h 30 min cooking

Level: easy

Ingredients

•     400 g egg free cannelloni pasta     
•     3 walnuts
  

For the ragout:

•     2 tbsp olive or seeds oil    
•     1 tsp dried rosemary    
•     1 pinch pepper
•     1 tsp thyme    
•     1 tsp paprika (optional)    
•     ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
•     1 large onion
•     2/3 garlic cloves or 1 tsp of garlic powder    
•     2 carrots
•     1 bag of Ikea plant-based mince
•     3 tins tomato pulp (3x400g)
•             2 tbsp glutamate (optional)
•     ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
  

For the bechamel:

• 90g rice flour or cake flour    
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast    
• 2 tsp salt    
• 1 pinch of nutmeg    
• 1 l oat or almond milk    
• ⅓ cup (80ml) seeds oil

Method:

Let’s begin making the ragout:

Finely chop the onions, the garlic and the carrots. You can do it quicker in a blender with a few pulses at maximum power.

Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and roast the rosemary, the pepper and the paprika for about 30 seconds.  Be careful not to burn them!

Now add the soy sauce and the chopped vegetables. Mix well. Close the pot with a lid and let cook on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes, till the onions are well cooked. Mix every now and then.

Add the second tbsp of olive oil and the plant-based mice. Let cook with the lid on for 5 more minutes. Pour in the tomato pulp, the glutamate and the water. Put the lid back on and let simmer for 30 minutes, then let reduce for 10 more minutes without the lid. Salt to taste. Once ready, move the ragout into a food container and let cool before storing into the fridge.

In the meanwhile we can make the bechamel:

In another pot combine the flour, the salt, the nutritional yeast and the nutmeg. Add the plant milk little at a time, while mixing, to avoid any lump.

Once all the milk is combined, put the pot on medium heat and bring to a boil. Keep mixing to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Turn off the heat and add the seeds oil. Mix well with a kitchen whisk. Pour the bechamel in a food container and cover the surface with some plastic film or baking sheet. Let cool and then move to the fridge.

It’s time to assemble the cannelloni:

Check the cannelloni pasta pack for the cooking time and method. You may need to boil them before using. Mine didn’t need pre-cooking  and the baking time was 40 minutes.

Spread a few tbsp of bechamel to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each cannelloni pasta with the ragout and lay them in the baking dish, one next to the other. Fill one layer, cover the cannelloni with half of the bechamel and garnish with the chopped walnuts. Go on with the second layer of cannelloni. Cover well with the remaining bechamel and ragout. You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs to make it even tastier.

Cover with an aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C (355° F), then 10 more minutes uncovered at 200°C (390°F). Serve hot. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try it and tag me on social media so I can share your pictures: you can find me on instagram and facebook as @veganaesthete.