Stuffed pasta shells

Serves: 6
Prep: 15
Cook: 45
This delicious plant based pasta recipe will be a crowd pleaser! A dairy-free twist on a family favourite.

Ingredients

  • 2tbs olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 small zucchini, grated
  • 4 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 x 400g cans no added salt diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 tbs dried oregano
  • 1 tbs freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 can Vegie Delights™ Nutmeat, mashed with a fork
  • 20 large pasta shells
  • 30g walnuts, chopped

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pre-heat oven to 1800C. In a deep pot, add olive oil and heat over medium to high heat. Add onion, garlic and chilli, cook stirring until onion becomes translucent, around 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until all water evaporates from the bottom of the pot, around 6-8 minutes. 
  2. Step 2

    Add tomatoes, ricotta, oregano, pepper, salt, mustard powder, cinnamon stick and basil. Heat through for 10 minutes, adding water if it needs to thin slightly. Divide this mixture in half and set half aside. Continue to warm the other half.
  3. Step 3

    Add Nutmeat to the sauce and cook for a further 8 minutes. After this time, remove the cinnamon stick and discard.
  4. Step 4

    In another pot, boil water and cook the pasta shells for ¾ of the recommended cook time (roughly 12 minutes). Drain once done.
  5. Step 5

    In an oven safe dish, add a spoonful of the sauce that was set aside into the bottom to ensure nothing sticks. Once by one, stuff the pasta shells evenly with the Nutmeat sauce and place into the tray.
  6. Step 6

    Pour over remaining sauce that was set aside, and sprinkle walnuts over the top. Cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Tips

  • Jumbo pasta shells can be found in some supermarkets and delis
  • Use cannelloni tubes if can’t find jumbo pasta shells
  • Can sprinkle with grated cheese or vegan cheese before placing in oven
  • Passata sauce is uncooked tomato puree that has been strained and removed of seeds and skin.