Jumbo Shells with Tofu Ricotta

Serves a Party of 4

Another outstanding Italian dish for the books! As I’ve said before, this style of food is my absolute favorite and I have been dying to try this stuffed shell recipe for quite some time now.

Even being plant based for 4 years now, I still find myself regretfully craving the taste and texture of cheese – and the majority of the time it is the types of cheeses you’d find in Italian dishes. Between how often I have made cashew mozzarella for homemade pizza or to top over pasta dishes, or making tofu ricotta for eggplant lasagna – I was super excited to stuff the ricotta into these shells. Whether you are vegan or not, it will have you in disbelief that it isn’t real cheese.

As for the tomato sauce, it is much easier than you may think to whip up some homemade tomato sauce, and is 100% healthier than just grabbing a jar of it from the store. With fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic, bell pepper, white wine vinegar, fresh oregano, and a bit of salt and pepper, you will without a doubt be surprised on how tasty it comes out after letting it simmer for a while. Before starting any pasta or pizza dish, I’d always recommend getting the sauce started in order to allow the spices and flavors to hang out together until the rest of your dish is ready to go.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Box of Jumbo Shells (or about 25 shells depending on the dish you decide to use)
  • 16 Oz of Extra Foam Tofu
  • 1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves
  • 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/2 Cup of Plain Oat Milk (or any plant based milk)
  • Few Pinches of Salt (to taste)

Ingredients for the Tomato Sauce:

  • 6 Tomatoes
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
  • 1 Red Onion
  • 6 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1/4 Cup of Fresh Thyme
  • 1/4 Cup of Fresh Oregano
  • 3 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • Few Pinches of Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Begin by getting your sauce started – heat up a large pot with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

After dicing your onions and garlic, drop them into the pot with some salt and pepper and allow them to sauté for around 5 minutes or until the onions begin to look a bit translucent.

Slice and dice the tomatoes and yellow bell pepper, fold them into the pot, and drizzle on the white white vinegar, fresh oregano, thyme, and the few pinches of salt.

Let the pot simmer on medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes.

In a large pot of your choice, bring 4 to 5 cups of water with a pinch of salt to a boil.

While the water and salt are boiling, get the tofu ricotta going by draining the water out of your tofu.

To do this, use some paper towels and gently press them onto the tofu.

Add the tofu, fresh basil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, oat milk, and salt to a blender, pulse it all together, and transfer the mixture to a small bowl.

Drop the shells into the boiling water until they become tender but not too soft.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a casserole dish or even a 9 by 9 pan, spread out a bit of olive oil and drop down the shells.

Carefully place a little more than a teaspoon to each shell using a spoon and your fingers.

Finally, drizzle on the sauce and bake for 10 minutes.