Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta

This recipe is incredible! The Tofu Ricotta makes enough to feed a small village and these Stuffed Shells are so tasty!

Christmas is literally around the corner and I for one am pretty excited about it. There won’t be any driving up and down the highway, the mister will be off and we can get cozy for a few days without anything but cat cuddles and food. Sounds like heaven, no?

I have been busy over the last month creating some yummy food for several clients. I have been very fortunate to have the abundance of work that has graced me over the past several months and have been manifesting more of the same as we head into 2021. Abundance flows to me has been one of my mantras and boy, doesn’t it seem to be working.

My Christmas dinners didn’t look anything like this. We were straight up turkey and cranberry sauce kinds of folks. I do, however, know many families that incorporate pasta as a side dish. This dish could be enjoyed ANY day of the year but I’ll let you decide when to serve it.

overhead view of casserole home made shells pasta with red sauce and ricotta by teri-ann carty

Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta

Teri-Ann Carty

This recipe is incredible! The Tofu Ricotta makes enough to feed a small village and these Stuffed Shells are so tasty! Enjoy tonight and tomorrow night hehe

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Servings 4

Equipment

casserole dish
stove
oven
food processor or blender

Ingredients

TOFU RICOTTA INGREDIENTS

1 block tofu
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp sea salt
cracked pepper
½ cup fresh basil (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon squeezed

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
½ yellow onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
pinch of cayenne (optional)
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

SHELL PASTA INGREDIENTS

½ box shells (I used 13 in total)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
pinch of chilli flakes
3 cups cremini mushrooms (sliced)
2 handfuls baby spinach
3 cups tomato sauce
1-1½ cups tofu ricotta
shaved parmesan (no measurement required)
sea salt and pepper

Instructions

TOFU RICOTTA INSTRUCTIONS

Remove tofu from plastic and drain. Wrap the tofu in a kitchen cloth and place something heavy on top. A cast iron pan works beautifully. Press tofu for 20 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor, crumble tofu into large chunks. Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Scraping down sides as needed. Cheese should be smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning.
Place in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use.

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté onions, add garlic. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 min.
Add tomatoes, cayenne and cook on simmer for approx. 30 minutes.

SHELL PASTA INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt the water. Cook shells according to the package. I recommend cooking al dente as they will continue to cook in the oven. Rinse well and set aside.
Meanwhile, add olive oil and chilli flakes to the pan. Add-in onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Toss in mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Add in spinach and toss to coat.
Spread tomato sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish (mine was 7” x 9”). Lay mushroom and spinach mixture on top of sauce, mixing it gently together.
Pick up a shell and using a regular spoon scoop a heaping tsp into each shell. Snuggle the shell into sauce open side up. Complete until all the shells are filled. Shave Parmesan on top, season with salt and pepper.
Place in a preheated oven to bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown and the sauce is bubbly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

Notes

The tofu ricotta will be enough for two recipes. Save half for later unless you are making a big batch of these shells.

Keyword dairy free, gluten free, pasta, plant based, stuffed shells, tofu ricotta, vegan

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