Cheezy Stuffed Shells

It's been 15 years since I made this dish. It wasn't vegan last time I made it for my family, so this was really an "experiment". It was fun cooking with my kids, stuffing the shells, tasting as we went along. In the end, it turned out great and it will not be another 15 years before I make it again! 

RECIPE: 

1 (12 oz) box jumbo shell pasta

1 (12 oz) jar artichokes, drain & chopped

6 oz. Fresh spinach, chopped 

6 oz. Mushrooms, chopped

10 kalamata olives, chopped & pitted

2 tsp. Minced garlic 

Salt & pepper to taste

24 oz. Marinara sauce of choice

8 oz. shredded Vegan mozzarella cheese 

For the tofu "ricotta":

14 oz firm tofu, pressed well

1/8 cup nutritional yeast 

1/4 cup (+/-) unsweetened plant milk 

1/8 cup Olive oil 

2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Minced garlic 

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

2 tsp. Fresh lemon juice 

Fresh basil (optional) 

METHOD: 

Preheat oven to 425°.

Prepare pasta, but make sure it is slightly undercooked because it will finish cooking in the oven. (Example- my directions said boil 14 minutes. I only boiled the pasta for 10 minutes).

Over medium heat, sautee your spinach & mushrooms . Season with salt & pepper to taste. 

Once they are tender, remove from heat & drain any excess water from the pan. 

Still cooking over medium heat, add 2 tsp. of minced garlic to your spinach and mushrooms and continue to cook another 2 minutes.

Pour spinach and mushrooms into a large mixing bowl. Add your artichokes and olives. Mix well. Taste & season if needed. 

In a blender, combine all ingredients for your tofu ricotta and blend until almost smooth. 

Mix tofu ricotta, veggies, and 1/2 of your vegan mozzarella cheese together in your mixing bowl. This is your filling for your pasta.

Stuff your pasta with the filling.

Grease a 11×13 baking baking dish. 

Pour a small amount of marinara sauce into the dish, just enough to cover the bottom of the dish. 

Place each stuffed shell into the dish, careful not to overcrowd your pasta. (Use 2 dishes if needed.)

Top your shells with marinara sauce. 

Bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove shells from oven & top with the other 1/2 of your vegan mozzarella cheese. 

Bake an additional 5 minutes to melt your cheese. 

Makes 24 - 28 shells (depending on how much filling you put in each shell). Serving size is 3-4 shells.