1. One hour prior to making this dish, put cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 hour. (This is to soften the cashews prior to food processing)
2. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
3. Chop the mushrooms finely.
4. Melt 1 tbsp vegan butter in a Dutch oven or sauté pan; add mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are done cooking.
5. Roughly chop the spinach and add it to the mushrooms. Cook the spinach until wilted and turn off the heat.
6. Boil the manicotti according to the package directions.
7. To make the ricotta, drain the soaked cashews and add them to a food processor. Then add around ¼ cup of water, nutritional yeast, spices, and garlic clove. Process this for around 2 to 3 minutes, adding more water if necessary to ensure a smooth texture. Once complete, add salt and pepper if needed for seasoning, then add the mushrooms and spinach and pulse to combine only- 4-6 times. Do not blend.
8. Place the ricotta filling in a pastry piping bag or zipper gallon bag if necessary.
9. To assemble, pour about ½ of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
10. Pipe the ricotta filling into each of the manicotti shells
11. Cover manicotti shells with the remaining sauce and cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for around 25 minutes. Uncover the manicotti and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, and ensure that the sauce is bubbling and cooked throughout.

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