These ricotta and spinach stuffed shells are filled with a tofu-based ricotta and baked in tomato sauce. They make a comforting dinner that works well for sharing or preparing ahead of time.
Ingredients
- ½ pound (250g) jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
- ½ pound (250g) frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp dried basil
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 6 cups 1(.4L) tomato passata
- Roughly chopped parsley leaves to serve
- Seed or Nut Parmesan to serve
Tofu ricotta
- 1 pound (450g) extra firm tofu
- ½ cup almond meal
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the tofu ricotta, press the tofu by placing it between paper towels or wrapping it in a clean tea towel. Weigh it down with a cutting board and something heavy for 30 minutes. Crumble the pressed tofu into a food processor. Add the remaining tofu ricotta ingredients and blitz for about 1 minute until well combined. The mixture should be thick and creamy, with a ricotta-like texture.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, squeeze the thawed spinach to remove as much liquid as possible. Pat dry and chop roughly. Mix the spinach with the tofu ricotta until combined. Fill the cooked and drained pasta shells with the mixture.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and dried basil and cook for another minute. Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and tomato passata. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Spread the sauce over the base of a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 22cm) baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells on top, leaving the tops exposed. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve topped with chopped parsley and Seed or Nut Parmesan, if using.