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A comforting, protein-rich vegan pasta bake featuring homemade tofu ricotta with spinach stuffed into jumbo pasta shells, baked in marinara sauce until bubbly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 16-ounce block extra-firm tofu, well-drained
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1–2 lemons)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 20 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (regular or vegan), optional
  • Handful chopped fresh parsley or basil for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Pat extra-firm tofu dry and crumble into a food processor or blender.
  3. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, sugar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, dried basil, and dried oregano to tofu; pulse until creamy but slightly grainy.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch baby spinach for 30–60 seconds.
  5. Remove spinach with slotted spoon, drain, let cool slightly, squeeze excess water, roughly chop, and stir into tofu ricotta mixture.
  6. Return blanching water to boil and cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions (about 9–10 minutes) until tender but firm.
  7. Drain shells and drizzle lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking.
  8. Spread a layer of marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  9. Fill each shell with tofu ricotta and spinach mixture and nestle shells into marinara sauce in the baking dish.
  10. Sprinkle grated Parmesan or vegan parmesan over stuffed shells if using.
  11. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes until heated through and bubbly.
  12. Remove foil and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.

Notes

Pat tofu dry with a kitchen towel; no pressing needed if extra-firm., Pulse tofu ricotta filling rather than fully blending to maintain grainy texture like ricotta., Squeeze excess water from cooked spinach to prevent watery filling., Do not overcook shells so they hold shape when stuffing., Drizzle olive oil on cooked shells to prevent sticking before filling., Assemble ahead and refrigerate for up to a day; add a few extra minutes to baking time if starting from cold dish., Leftovers reheat well in microwave, air fryer, or oven; freeze up to 2 months., For variations, swap tofu ricotta for regular ricotta, use baby kale or Swiss chard, add vegan sausage or mushrooms, substitute manicotti, or add melting cheese in last baking minutes.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingcrumbs.com/tofu-ricotta-stuffed-shells-with-spinach/