VEGAN STUFFED SHELLS
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 45 min
I never, in a million years, believed that going dairy-free would be so easy. I am German and love me some really good cheese and buttercream and all that dairy goodness, so I thought cutting out dairy was going to be a big issue—but I’ve figured out some amazing alternatives to my old dairy stand-bys that have made it so easy to just walk away!
This recipe is one of those old dairy stand-bys that has transitioned seamlessly into dairy-free.
And, as it turns out, they are just as simple, tasty, and crowd-pleasing when you make them dairy-free.
There are a lot of “cheesy” plant-based recipes out there that claim they are similar to their cheese counterparts, But this one, It can honestly fool just about any meat and dairy lover out there!
INGREDIENTS
35 shells or 6 servings
· 3.5 cups pasta sauce
· 2/3 box jumbo pasta shells
Tofu Ricotta:
· 3 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 medium sweet onion, diced
· 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
· 2 celery stalks, diced
· 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, minced
· 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, minced
· 1 (14oz) package extra-firm or firm tofu, pressed
· 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
· 3/4-1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
· Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
· 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
· 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Directions
1. Rinse block of tofu and wrap with paper towels followed by 2-3 tea towels. Place it on a cutting board or plate and add several heavy cookbooks on top. Press tofu for about 20-25 minutes to drain out the water. Alternatively, you can use a tofu press.
2. Grease a large casserole dish. I used about 35 shells, Cook shells in a pot of boiling water until al dente, about 8-11 minutes. Drain shells and set aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 400F. For the tofu ricotta: In a large skillet, sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the chopped celery, basil, and parsley and sauté for another 5 minutes or so.
4. For the tofu, you can either crumble it into the skillet with your hands Stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, lemon, and cayenne all to taste. Over medium heat, cook for about 8-10 minutes or until most of the water cooks off.
5. Spoon about 1 cup of marinara sauce into the casserole dish and spread around. Add about 2 tbsp of tofu ricotta into each stuffed shell and place shells on top of marinara sauce. Cover shells with the remaining 2-2.5 cups marinara sauce and any leftover tofu ricotta. You can add vegan cheese on top, but I don’t bother. Cover dish with tin foil and poke several air holes. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes or until heated throughout. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread with vegan butter!
MACROS
Servings: 6
Calories 392cal
Carbohydrates 66g
Protein 13.7g
Fat: 7.7g
Sodium: 608mg
Fiber: 8g
Sugar: 15g