This stuffed shell pasta is one of my favorite things..of all time. Mama's marinara sauce with tofu ricotta and sautéd spinach and shallots..what could be more delicious than that?
¼cupCatalina dressing,or 1 tablespoon brown sugar, plus more to taste
For the filling:
1tablespoonolive oil
½red onion,finely diced
1small shallot,finely diced
1red bell pepper,finely diced
4clovesof garlic,finely minced
4cupsfresh spinach,roughly chopped
1cup8-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!
Keyword tofu ricotta recipe, tofu ricotta shells, vegan italian dish, vegan marinara sauce, vegan pasta dish, vegan stuffed shell pasta
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