Vegan Stuffed Shells

Step 1

Cook jumbo shells in salted boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. (It's better to slightly undercook them than overcook them.  They will continue to cook a little more when you bake them).

Step 2

Drain and press the tofu to get out as much liquid as possible.

Step 3

Add tofu, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper to your food processor.  Blend for about 1-2 minutes until smooth.  (Add a splash of plain soy milk if needed to make it a ricotta texture.

Step 4

Heat 2 cups of frozen spinach until thawed. (You can use a microwave or stovetop)  Once it has thawed, put into a colander, set in the sink, and press the spinach with a spatula to squeeze the liquid out of it.

Step 5

Add thawed and drained spinach to the ricotta mixture and blend again for a few seconds.  (You can blend for another minute or two to get the spinach finely chopped for picky kids or you can stir the spinach in if you want it to remain more whole).

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).  It should be ready by the time you finish filling the shells.

Step 7

Fill the cooked jumbo shells with the tofu ricotta mixture (About 2 tbsp. in each shell) and place them into a large baking dish.  (Hold the shell putting pressure on both ends so that it opens up to fill it).

Step 8

Pour a jar of marinara sauce over the shells ( You can also place the stuffed shells on a bed of sauce).

Step 9

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F (177°C).

Step 10

Top with vegan mozzarella cheese, cover again and bake for another 20 minutes.

Step 11

Remove foil and bake the shells for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly in the center.  (I bake them uncovered at the end to make them a little crispy on the edges.  If you don't want that, you can bake them covered the whole time).

Step 12

Garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley and serve hot.