Vegan Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Step 1

Using your hands, roughly crumble the tofu into the bowl of a blender or a food processor. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides in between blending, as needed. Note: depending on the water content of your tofu, you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to help it blend. You don't want to add too much and dilute the flavor so only add one tablespoon at a time.

Step 2

Once the frozen spinach has defrosted, place it in a strainer. Fold a few paper towels (or cotton towel) together and use them to press on top of the spinach so that the excess water strains out of the bottom. Repeat this step until the spinach is mostly dry.

Step 3

Transfer the tofu ricotta to a large bowl. Add the pressed spinach then stir until evenly combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Step 4

In a large skillet, warm two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 5

In a high speed blender, add the pumpkin puree, bouillon, drained (soaked) cashews, cooked shallot/garlic, water, nutritional yeast, vinegar, paprika, sage, salt & pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Taste test to see if you prefer more vinegar or seasonings then add, as desired. Set aside.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Step 7

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the box of jumbo shells as directed. It should make more than 18 shells, however, It’s good to have extra on hand in case some break. Once they are cooked al dente, strain the shells and rinse with cold water (so that they don’t stick together).

Step 8

Carefully handling the cooked shells, use a spoon to fill each one with tofu ricotta, until there isn't any ricotta left. You should have about 18 shells in total. Arrange them in the baking dish then top with pumpkin sauce. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs (if desired).

Step 9

Cover the baking dish with foil (or parchment paper) and bake for 25-minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for several minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!