Vegetarian cannelloni with textured soy

How to make vegetarian cannelloni with textured soy.

These vegetarian cannelloni are the closest thing to classic Bolognese fillings , but without meat of any kind .

They are filled with textured soy and tomato , among other ingredients, with which a juicy and very tasty filling is achieved. Remember the Bolognese sauce , yes, but in falsetto or trompe l’oeil .

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to prepare these cannelloni . Maybe you want to try them one day out of curiosity or because you have decided to reduce the consumption of meat.

Be that as it may, we are sure that it is a recipe that you will love and that the textured soybean will surprise you. This if you do not already know it. This is a proposal, but you also have the lasagna- shaped version , delicious too.

The filling of this pasta recipe is cooked in much the same way as the Bolognese sauce of minced meat of a lifetime and its flavor, although not exact, is very similar. And to give it an authentic Italian touch we have prepared this recipe with Garofalo’s Cannelloni , which give such good results, guaranteed quality.

The TVP absorbs the flavors of the ingredients with which it is cooked. The success (or failure) of what we make with this ingredient depends on them. So we recommend that you be generous with the amounts of spices and herbs that you use, and also with their varieties.

Textured soybeans are sold in most large stores, dehydrated and in very light packages, and have a very long expiration date.

Although it can be eaten as it is, dry and crisp, in the case of this recipe it is necessary to hydrate it to change its texture. You will see what incredible resemblance has with the minced meat!

Preparation of the Bolognese filling with textured soy

1. We hydrate the soybean by soaking it in the vegetable broth for a minimum of 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it hydrates equally. Nothing happens if it is longer.
2. Meanwhile we peel and chop the garlic cloves and the onion. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and cook over low heat.
3. When the onion is transparent add the chopped tomato, the tomato concentrate, the Provencal herbs, the garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper to taste.
4. We cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, enough for all the ingredients and flavors to amalgamate, and crush in the same saucepan with a hand mixer.
5. Next we add the hydrated textured soy and cook again over medium heat until the sauce has taken shape. Approximately 20 minutes.
6. We let the sauce cool completely to make it more manageable when filling the cannelloni.

Preparation of the béchamel

1. Meanwhile we prepare a bechamel sauce with which to cover the cannelloni.
2. To do this, heat the butter in a frying pan and, when it is melted, add the flour.
3. Stir for one or two minutes to form a roux and lightly brown the flour. With this, the raw flavor is lost.
4. We add the milk little by little, stirring constantly so that lumps do not form or dissolve those that we can not avoid.
5. We can use rods and make sure that the bechamel is very fine.
6. Season to taste and cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat. We remove from the fire and reserve.

Preparation of the vegetarian cannelloni

1. Next, we cook the sheets of cannelloni pasta, using a large pot with plenty of water so that they do not stick to each other.
2. We follow the instructions on the package, subtracting a couple of minutes from the indicated time because the pasta will finish making in the oven.
3. We remove the cannelloni sheets and immerse them in a container with ice water to cut the cooking.
4. Once cold, drain and place on a clean kitchen cloth. We dry slightly.
5. We place a tablespoon of the textured soy filling in the center of each cannelloni, running from left to right.
6. We close the dough by folding the ends over the filling.
7. We grease four individual baking sheets and cover the base with a couple of tablespoons of bechamel sauce.
8. We have three cannelloni in each source, with the closure of the pasta on the bottom.

Baking and final presentation of the cannelloni

1. We preheat the oven to 200º C. We cover the cannelloni with the bechamel sauce and generously cover with grated cheese.
2. We introduce in the oven, preheated to 200º C (with heat above and below) and cook 15 minutes at about 200º C.
3. If necessary, we change the oven to the gratin function and brown the surface for 5 more minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to warm for a couple of minutes before serving.

You can see all the step by step photos of the vegetarian cannelloni recipe   in this album. Do not miss any detail and they will be perfect, as in Italy itself.

Tips for perfect vegetarian cannelloni with textured soy

• For the sauce to serve as a stuffing for cannelloni it is important that it be juicy, but without traces of liquid. We can remove a little tomato sauce with a saucepan if, after the cooking time is over, it still has too much.
• Textured soy is bland and gets its flavor from the broth in which it is hydrated and the seasonings that are added. You have to be generous with the quantity and variety of herbs and spices that we use.
• We cook the pasta below the cooking time indicated on the package because it will finish cooking in the oven. If we cook it for the time indicated by the manufacturer and then put it in the oven it will be too soft.
• The gratin is only necessary if the cannelloni are not browned after the initial oven time.