Being home for a few days means I wanted to cook a dinner for my parents (I also baked – no need to fret). I made the lasagna version of this a few weeks ago and the taste was great, the presentation was a tad difficult to achieve with a “lasagna for one” though. So I thought, the second go-around I would try with shells and alas it was a success. Point being – shells over lasagna.
Dad made a great homemade sauce on Sunday night so it had plenty of time to get good since I wasn’t on cooking duty till Monday. Accompanied with a salad and it was a delicious meal. I don’t come home often so it is always a treat. Not to mention cooking in my parent’s kitchen is a serious upgrade.
Recipe Adapted from thedailygreen
Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 pound (225 to 455 g) lasagna noodles
2 packages (10 ounces, or 280 g, each) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 package (16 ounces, or 455 g) firm tofu (not silken)
1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar (optional)
1/4 cup (60 ml) nondairy milk (such as rice, oat, soy, almond, or hazelnut), or as needed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 peeled garlic cloves
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons (5 g) minced fresh basil (about 20 leaves) (or 1 Tbsp. Dried)
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt (or to taste)
1/4 fresh parsley (option)
1 tsp. oregano
4 to 6 cups (980 to 1470 g) tomato or pasta sauce of your choice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; (180 degrees C, or gas mark 4).
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Squeeze as much water from spinach as possible and set aside.
Place tofu, sugar (if using), milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, parsley, oregano, and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The tofu “ricotta” should be creamy but still have body.
Transfer to large-size bowl, and stir in spinach. Continue tasting until you get amount of salt just right.
*You will want to use a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish.
Using a small spoon, individually stuff the shells (they should be room temp or cooler by this point – you dont want to burn yourself). Lay them in the baking dish open seam facing up.
Cover with sauce to your liking.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
*I had extra filled shells even after I filled my baking dish so you might need another small dish. I saved these and will bake them up later (do not put the sauce on though). Bake for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
Cheers and Enjoy!
n
