Meaty Vegan Stuffed Shells

Step 1

First, Make the sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat add the oil. Once hot, add the garlic, onions and peppers and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant and browning. Add the vegan "ground beef", season with a pinch of salt and break it apart into small pieces in the pan and cook until it turns brown and solid just like beef does. It will take about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and sugar if using. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Cook the pasta according to the box, drain well and rinse with cold water so that it is easy to handle. Reserve until the assembly step.

Step 3

Make the "ricotta" in a large bowl by combining tofu, nutritional yeast, hemp hearts, and kale. Blend the cashews and water in a blender until creamy and pourable and add to the bowl with the tofu and other ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 375

Step 5

Assemble the shells. In an oven safe lasagna pan place several ladle fulls of sauce on the bottom of the pan to nest the filled shells on. Using a scoop or tablespoon fill each cooked shell with about 1 oz of the tofu ricotta filling. Continue until all the shells are filled. Top with remaining sauce and vegan shredded cheese. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Optional bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered if you like crispy pasta edges.

Step 6

Serve piping hot and garnish with fresh black pepper.

Step 7

Enjoy for up to 5 days when stored properly in the refrigerator. Or freeze and enjoy for up to 3 months.