SERVES 4–6
When people think of plant-based cuisine, a common fear is that they will lose some of their favorite foods and that nothing will ever be the same. But you can still enjoy your most beloved meals! This fun, attractive-looking dish is creative, playful, and a joy to make. Our family loves stuffing the shells together, getting messy in the kitchen, and then popping this bad boy into the oven. We are confident this recipe will rival many dairy-rich versions. In fact, most people who try it say these are the best stuffed shells they have ever had. The dish is rich, creamy, and satisfying to the stomach and taste buds. Mama’s Stuffed Shells are full of dietary fiber, protein, iron, minerals, and B vitamins. You can use regular large pasta shells or whole-wheat or gluten-free. Get ready to blow your friends and family away with this one!
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. thyme
2 cups minced cremini mushrooms
½ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 16-oz. box of large whole-wheat or brown-rice pasta shells
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 24-oz. jar pasta sauce
Vegan cheese (we like Follow Your Heart mozzarella in the block form)
1 Make Simple Cream Cheese. This can be done the day prior or a couple of hours before you make the meal.
2 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3 Pour the olive oil into a hot frying pan over medium-to-high heat. Stir in the diced onions, minced garlic, oregano, and thyme and sauté until the onions are soft, about 2–3 minutes. Add mushrooms and salt and cook for another 3–5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and golden. Finally, add chopped spinach and cook for another 2 minutes, until the spinach is soft. Remove from heat and let cool for 15–20 minutes.
4 Boil a large pot of water and follow the cooking instructions on the large pasta shells box. Drain and rinse the cooked shells with cool water so they retain a small amount of durability.
5 Add the Simple Cream Cheese and minced fresh basil to the mushroom and spinach mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into a pastry bag or a large Ziploc bag with one corner cut off.
6 Spread a small amount of pasta sauce on the bottom of a lasagna tray. One by one, squeeze the creamy mushroom-spinach mixture into each shell and lay the shell in the tray. Drizzle more pasta sauce over the top. Then grate some vegan cheese on top.
7 Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
