Description
This vegan stuffed shells recipe bakes in just 15 minutes. A simple tofu ricotta, slightly sweet pumpkin sauce, crispy sage & toasted pecans!
Ingredients
Pasta
- 30 jumbo shells pasta (about 200 g)*
Tofu Ricotta
- 350g extra firm tofu
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (use fresh garlic if desired)
- 1 tbsp sage (chopped)*
Pumpkin Sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (homemade for extra savings)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger)
Garnish
- 1/4 cup pecans, toasted
- 2 tbsp fresh sage*
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- For the ricotta: Add all of the ingredients (except the sage) to a blender or food processor and pulse until combined. For a smoother ricotta blend longer but for a more textured ricotta you can stop your blender earlier or even crush the tofu by hand and stir in the remaining ingredients. Once blended, stir in the chopped sage and set aside.
- Blend all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- You can cook your pasta shells according to the package instructions while you blend the sauce. When the shells are al dente, drain the pasta water and toss the pasta in a bit of olive oil to prevent the shells from sticking together.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pour two thirds (or 400 ml) of the pumpkin pasta sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish (mine is 9×12). Scoop about 2 ½ tsp of ricotta into each pasta shell and lay the shells in the pumpkin sauce. With all of the shells filled, drizzle the remaining sauce over the shells. *If you are preparing this in advance and baking it later you could reserve the remaining sauce separately and pour it over the shells just before baking. You can also freeze this recipe at this point (see notes for more instructions).
- Bake, uncovered, at 425 F for 15 – 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the ricotta is just starting to brown.
- While the pasta is baking you can quickly make some crispy sage by heating a touch of oil on a frying pan and adding the chopped sage. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the sage aside for garnish.
- Garnish the baked jumbo shells with crushed toasted pecans and the crispy sage.
- Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $10.62 Canadian. My tofu ricotta recipe without the added sage costs me just under $1 per 100 grams. If I were to buy a traditional ricotta my cost would be around $1.50 per 100 grams.
To freeze these stuffed shells, compile all of the elements. Instead of proceeding to bake the shells, cover them well for the freezer and freeze. When you’re wanting to bake them, allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight. Once defrosted, bake according to the recipe (425 degrees F). They may take an extra 10 minutes in the oven for the sauce to bubble and the shells to get slightly browned. The only difference I’ve noticed is that the tofu ricotta ends up a little softer with a bit more moisture in it then when it is baked fresh. I was delighted to see that the pumpkin sauce had no noticeable differences in texture!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian Inspired