Craving Italian food? Don’t really like the feeling of all the grease from the heavy cheeses? Enjoy the same rich cheesy flavors but with a higher source of protein. This is one of my favorite dinners to make and it surprises everyone when they find out there is tofu in the filling instead of ricotta cheese! Without knowing there’s tofu in this dish, you wouldn’t even be able to tell!
What you will need:
For the Tofu Filling:
1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed
2 cloves of garlic
pinch of salt
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup spinach, finely chopped
For everything else:
1 pack of jumbo shell pasta
1 bottle of your favorite pasta sauce
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1 tsp red crushed pepper flakes
olive oil
shredded cheese of choice
Preparing the Tofu Filling:
- In a food processor, add in the whole block of tofu, garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Pulse the ingredients a few times before processing on high for 10 second intervals. Mix until the mixture becomes soft and creamy.
- The filling is now ready to go! Set aside until the vegetables are ready.
Preparing everything else:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In one large pot or pan, start boiling water for the pasta shells. Once the water is boiled, cook the shells for 2 minutes less than instructed on the box. Remove the shells from the water, being careful not to tear the pasta. Set aside on sheet tray so the shells do not stick to each other.
- In another pan, begin heating up the olive oil. Add in the onions and cook till translucent. Add in the bell peppers and zucchini and cook until softened. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach and cover the pan. Allow the vegetables to cook on low heat for a few mins.
- Once the veggies are ready, add the tofu mixture to the pan and mix. Taste the mixture for salt or spice and adjust accordingly.
- We are now ready to assemble!
- In a large tray, coat the bottom with a spoonful of olive oil. Then add in a layer of your pasta sauce as a base.
- Start filling in each shell with a tablespoon of the filling and placing it into the tray. Continue filling the shells until the mixture runs out. You will likely have a few shells left over!
- Add a large dollop of pasta sauce on top of each shell and try to coat the shell itself in sauce. We want to avoid the shell from drying out. Finally, add some shredded cheese on top so we get that gooey cheese pull in the end!
- Once the shells are ready to bake, cover the tray with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes covered at 375 degrees F.
- Remove the foil and broil for 1 minute to get that nice brown color on top.
- Shells are ready to be enjoyed fresh!
