Rich and creamy cashew-tofu ricotta is blended with fresh spinach, stuffed into tender little pasta pockets and smothered in a quick garlicky tomato sauce to make these vegan stuffed shells.
I’m beginning to think the combination of tofu and cashews is the answer to everything. I don’t even think of it as being a thing half the time. I just start working a recipe around either cashews or tofu, and before I know it, the other half of the duo demands its presence be made. It’s really quite a magical combination.
I was telling a friend about this the other day and I think she thought I was nuts. Actually, “that doesn’t sound very good” were her exact words. She’s kind of right. Ten years ago I would’ve thought blended up cashews and tofu was the most disgusting thing on earth. Live and learn.
In case you haven’t tried one of my cashew tofu combo recipes yet, and you’re wondering what it does taste like, here’s the answer: ricotta cheese. That’s it! Rich, creamy, unbelievably vegan, ricotta cheese. For a while I was big on tofu ricotta (before I discovered cashews). Tofu ricotta is pretty good. It tastes like low-fat ricotta non-vegan. Tofu-cashew ricotta just tastes like regular old fatty ricotta, which is better if you ask me.
So I had to go with tofu-cashew ricotta for these vegan stuffed shells. After all, it is the holidays, and holiday dinners demand the best.
To juice things up even more I threw some spinach into the filling. My vegan stuffed shells florentine turned out to be delightful and way cooler to look at than regular old cheese filled shells, what with all the pretty little green flecks in there.
These were total comfort food and exactly the kind of hearty meal I crave when it’s cold outside. Oh, and it’s exactly the kind of meal you want to feed your family for the holidays. Even your non-vegan family. In fact, especially your non-vegan family. They’ll be impressed!
Vegan Stuffed Shells Florentine
Rich and creamy cashew-tofu ricotta is blended with fresh spinach, stuffed into tender little pasta pockets and smothered in a quick garlicky tomato sauce to make these vegan stuffed shells.
- 6 ounces dried jumbo pasta shells ((about 20 shells))
For the Quick Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, (diced)
- 3 garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, (torn and lightly packed)
- 1/2 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, (plus more to taste)
For the Vegan Ricotta Florentine
- 1/2 large onion, (coarsely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained)
- 1/2 cup unflavored and unsweetened soy or almond milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, (drained and broken into 5-6 large chunks)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, (plus more to taste)
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, (coarsely chopped and lightly packed)
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta into a colander, then return it to the pot and toss with a few dashes of olive oil. Set aside.
Make the Quick Tomato Sauce
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Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir a few times to incorporate. Bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat. Allow it to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil and remove the sauce from the heat. Taste test and season with additional salt and pepper if you like.
Make the Vegan Ricotta Florentine
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Place the onion, garlic, cashews, milk and lemon juice into bowl of food processor. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add the tofu, salt and pepper. Pulse until a thick and slightly chunky, ricotta-like texture is achieved, again, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed. If some space remains in food processor bowl, add the spinach and pulse until finely chopped and well blended. Otherwise, transfer mixture to a bowl and stir the spinach in by hand. Taste-test and season the mixture with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Make the Stuffed Shells Florentine
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Preheat the oven to 400º. Coat the bottom of a 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish or 10 inch round oven-safe skillet with about half of sauce.
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Stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture and arrange them in a single layer in the baking dish or skillet. Top with the remaining sauce.
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Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Remove the shells from the oven and allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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