Raw Vegan Spinach Manicotti

Methods/steps

Advanced Prep

1. Soak 2 cups of sunflower seeds in pure water for 4-6 hours.  Drain and rinse.
2. In a separate bowl, soak 2 cups of sundried tomatoes in pure water for 4 hours or longer.  Drain

For the Noodles

1. Cut off both ends of each zucchini.  Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini the long way so that you have long, wide noodles.  If a mandoline is not available, use a knife, cutting as thinly as possible.
2. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss very gently.

For the Spinach & Sunflower Cheese Filling

1. In a high-speed blender, combine sunflower seeds, water, lemon, garlic and salt.
2. Blend well until smooth.  Scrape into a large bowl.
3. In a food processor, process the spinach and parsley in batches until chopped but not puréed.  Alternately, chop finely by hand.  Pour into the bowl with the sunflower cheese.
4. Add Italian seasoning and mix well.

For the Herby Tomato Sauce

1. To assemble, arrange 4 zucchini noodles horizontally on a cutting board, slightly overlapping one over the next by about ½”.
2. Place ¼ cup of the spinach & sunflower cheese filling in the center and spread so that it covers the front to the back and about 1” in width.
3. Roll the zucchini from left to right to create a filled manicotti.
4. Place two manicotti on a plate and top with ¼ cup of tomato sauce.
5. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of hemp seeds and/or Italian seasoning.