Raw Squash and "Sausage" Manicotti

One of the dishes that I loved most as a child was manicotti.  My Mother's manicotti that is.  It was always so flavorful and warming, not to mention the delicious cheese filling that would ooze out when you cut into it with your fork.  I can remember helping her make it, stuffing the shells in the kitchen as we laughed and joked about things, me all excited for the dinner that was to come. 
I decided this weekend that it would be fun to make raw manicotti, since I really haven't had any since I enjoyed my Mom's as a kid. It would be somewhat similar.  I wanted it to be bathed in a flavorful red sauce, have a creamy cheese filling, and also the tasty sausage enclosed in the pasta. 

 

So I got to work, and decided to use some tomato wraps for the "pasta" which I made in the dehydrator like fruit leather.  They were a beautiful color!  For the "cheese"filling, I combined pine nuts with squash for a seasonal twist.  The "sausage"was made from walnuts, as I love the texture they provide.  Would it satisfy my manicotti craving though?  Yes!  It was wonderful, I might have even liked it a little better than Mom's but do not tell her I said so. 

 

Raw Squash and "Sausage" Manicotti
Serves 2

Tomato "pasta"sheets
2 medium tomatoes
2 tsp agave nectar
a pinch of sea salt

Sauce:
1/3 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes, drained
1 large organic tomato, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 date, pitted
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
sea salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
filtered water as needed

Filling:
1/2 cup raw winter squash, diced
3/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
filtered water as needed

Walnut "Sausage":
1 1/4 cups raw walnuts, soaked and dried
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp filtered water

fresh organic spinach (optional)

To make the pasta, combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Spread out on a dehydrator sheet lined with teflex, and dry for about 6-8 hours, or the consistency of fruit leather.  Remove from the dehydrator, peel off the sheet and cut into 4 squares.  Set aside.
To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except water in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Add a little filtered water as needed until the sauce is smooth and pourable, but not so much that it is too runny. Set aside.
To make the squash filling, combine all ingredients except water in the food processor and process until smooth, adding filtered water as needed to create a ricotta like consistency.  Set aside.
To make the walnut sausage, combine all ingredients except water in a food processor and process until combined and finely chopped.  Add 1-2 Tbsp water, enough to make the mixture clump together. 
To assemble, spread a little of the sauce onto two plates. Lay out a "pasta" sheet, and spoon some of the walnut "sausage" to one side, then some of the squash filling over it.  roll it up, and place on one of the plates. Repeat with remaining pasta so that there are two on each plate.  Spoon more of the sauce over the manicotti on each plate, and top off with spinach if desired.  Serve!