Description

A comforting and flavorful dairy-free take on classic stuffed shells, featuring a creamy cashew-based ricotta and fresh spinach, all baked in a rich marinara sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours or boiled for 15 minutes
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain the soaked cashews. In a food processor, combine the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
In a bowl, combine the cashew ricotta mixture with the cooked spinach and onion mixture. Stir well to combine.
Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Carefully stuff each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta and spinach filling. Arrange the stuffed shells in the baking dish.
Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells, ensuring they are well covered.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the shells are heated through.
Garnish with fresh basil, if desired, before serving.

Notes

For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free jumbo pasta shells.
Adjust lemon juice and salt to your taste.
If you don’t have cashews, you can soak and blend blanched almonds or sunflower seeds as an alternative.
Feel free to add other vegetables like sautéed mushrooms or bell peppers to the filling.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Calories: Approx. 450-550
Sugar: Approx. 10-15g
Sodium: Approx. 600-800mg
Fat: Approx. 20-25g
Saturated Fat: Approx. 3-5g
Unsaturated Fat: Approx. 15-20g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: Approx. 50-60g
Fiber: Approx. 5-7g
Protein: Approx. 15-20g
Cholesterol: 0mg

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