Tofu ricotta is a thing of beauty. And when mixed with spinach and onions and shallots and peppers, stuffed inside jumbo shell pasta, and baked in my mom’s classic marinara, it’s one of the best bites…ever!
Hearty, homey, cozy, crazy delicious – this recipe has everything you could want in a vegan pasta dish.
In truth, there are many separate components to this recipe: ricotta, marinara, pasta. However, everything comes together to form one cohesive, well-balanced dish that is sure to please everyone’s tastebuds. Additionally, you can take any one of these elements, like the ricotta or the marinara sauce, and use them in other recipes, too!
If you’re in the mood for a warm meal and don’t mind cooking something more elaborate, then give this dish a try. I promise you that it’s well worth the effort and super delicious.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Shell Pasta
Equipment
- Oven
- Tin Foil
- 8×8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the tofu ricotta:
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm or firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes
- Zest from one lemon
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For my mom’s marinara:
- 1 ½ yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, petit cut
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sage
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Catalina dressing, or 1 tablespoon brown sugar, plus more to taste
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup 8-ounces tofu ricotta, (recipe above)
Instructions
For the Tofu Ricotta
- To make the ricotta, first cut your block of tofu into slabs and press it for 30 minutes. Then crumble it up into a food processor along with the lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil, salt and nutmeg and pulse – all of the ingredients ought to be well incorporated but the texture still lumpy, like ricotta cheese.
For Mama's Marinara Sauce
- Next, make the sauce. Sauté the garlic and onion in a large pot over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Then, add the cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, the herbs and spices, and the Catalina dressing (or brown sugar) to cut the acid of the tomatoes. Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning accordingly, if need be. Let the sauce heat up to a simmer for a bit, and then reduce the heat to low and let sit.
- Boil your shell pasta in about 4 quarts of salted water for 9 to 10 minutes. You want them to be almost cooked but not so much that they fall apart. Boil more shells than you need, in case some break apart in the water (it happens!). Drain and set on the pasta gently on a paper towels to cool off.
For the Filling
- Lastly, the filling. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the red onion, shallot, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Then, add the spinach and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and darkened in color. Careful not to overcook it. Then, in a medium mixing bowl, combine your sautéed onions and pepper with 1 cup of tofu ricotta.
For Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. In an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish, spoon about an inch or two of marinara sauce on the bottom. Once your shells are cool enough to handle, take a heaping tablespoon of filling and press it gently into the shell, and then place the shell in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Do this until 12 to 13 shells are filled and the baking dish is full. Spoon a bit more sauce in a line across each shell after you're done stuffing them (photos above for reference).
- Cover the baking dish in tin foil, poke vent holes in it with a knife or fork, and then bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove tin foil and then bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes uncovered.Eat immediately! Serve with a green vegetable, like broccoli or asparagus!
Let me know if you enjoyed this tofu ricotta stuffed shell pasta recipe by leaving a comment and rating down below!
If you’re in the mood for another vegan pasta dish, try this vegan cashew Alfredo pasta recipe! Or, if you liked the tofu in this recipe, try this guajillo chili bowl for another variant on tofu – you won’t regret it!
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As always,
That Vegan Nephew
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