Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

I know – there’s nothing especially Thanksgiving-ey about this recipe. I had a number of vegetarian “main course” ideas that I thought of sharing this year. At the top of the list was a creamy vegan pot pie with a delectable flaky crust… but I didn’t get to it. I’m still excited by that idea and when I do get to it, it’ll be amazing… but the week I was creating this recipe, I had leftover butternut squash and I was craving pasta. Pot pie had to wait.

This recipe is loosely based on the other stuffed shell recipe that I made for this blog a few years ago. It’s been a favorite, mostly because (in my opinion) it hardly tastes vegan. The “ricotta,” – made from cashew cream, crumbled tofu, herbs, and lemon zest – is rich and flavorful. If your family is squeamish about tofu, just don’t tell them. They’ll never suspect it here.

In the spirit of fall, I stuffed my shells with roasted butternut squash. Fill them, bake, and top with dollops of the extra cashew cream, if you like.

Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

 

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Serves: serves 4

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cubed butternut squash
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 16 jumbo shells

cashew cream

• 1½ cups raw cashews*(see note)
• 1 cup fresh water
• 1 garlic clove
• 3½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

filling

• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup crumbled firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cashew cream (from the recipe above)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Make the cashew cream: Blend together the drained raw cashews, fresh water, garlic, lemon juice, and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach in increments, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté until all the spinach is incorporated and wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid and chop. In a medium bowl, combine the the spinach with the crumbled tofu, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup of cashew cream. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.
5. Assemble the shells. Spread ¼ cup of the reserved cashew cream on the bottom of an 11×7-inch baking dish. Fill each shell with some of the filling and a few cubes of butternut squash, and place into the baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over the shells and bake for 15 minutes, or until browned on top and heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining cashew cream.

Notes

*Soak cashews in water 3 to 4 hours, preferably overnight, then drain and rinse.

 

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