Categories: Drafts

Healthy Stuffed Shells, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free

Don’t you ever just want comfort food? Right. Rhetorical question.

I don’t know about you, but when I crave pasta, I crave PASTA. Half the time I’m happy with some vegan butter and a sprinkle of salt, tossed with some frozen peas. But when I’m craving a real Italian dish, it’s not always the pasta I’m after.

This recipe is for those nights that you just want warming ooey, gooey, cheesey, tomatoey comfort food, like Stuffed Shells, but not the feeling of a bowling ball in your gut 5 minutes later. To get the full comfort food effect without the heavy pasta, I used zucchini squash because they were available (and beautiful!) but this would work really well with thin strips of zucchini sliced on a mandolin and rolled, or blanched Lacinto (dinosaur) kale leaves, rolled.

It’s so delicious, easy and remarkably lower in calories than its pasta counterpart, though if you want to use regular or GF conchiglie shells for this, I would not be mad.

Your prep time will vary, depending on the ingredients you use. I include a recipe for my homemade ricotta, and while simple, it is a labor of love. The store bought kind is just as delicious, but expensive. Similarly, the vegan parm is a really simple recipe to whip up, and I definitely recommend that over the processed store bought varieties. If you do use squash blossoms, it takes about an additional 15 minutes to clean and prep them.

This recipe makes GREAT leftovers, so this is a healthy meal-prep dinner and next-day lunch that won’t make you want to take a nap by 2PM.

Healthy Vegan, Gluten Free Stuffed Shells

A delicious alternative to heavy pasta dishes, this recipe hits the notes of stuffed shells with naturally gluten free vegetables.

For The Stuffing

8 oz vegan almond ricotta (homemade or store bought)
½ cup vegan cashew Parmesan (homemade or store bought )
⅓ cup vegan yogurt (such as cashew; plain, unsweetened )
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ cup chopped greens or zucchini (such as kale or spinach; fresh or frozen)
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (preferably basil and/or parsley)

For the Sauce (or use your favorite jarred sauce, such as Rao's)

1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup onion (yellow or white )
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (fresh)
15 oz tomato sauce (canned )
t tsp favorite dried Italian herbs or Italian herb mix (such as oregano, garlic, parsley, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme; optional)
¼ tsp crushed pepper flakes (optional, for heat)

To Make the Stuffed Shells

Preheat oven to 400°F

To Make the Sauce

Sautee onion in olive oil, until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
When garlic is fragrant, toss in any dried herbs and red pepper flakes. Stir to evenly mix with onions.
Add canned tomato sauce and gently simmer for about 10 minutes.

To make the Stuffing

Combine all ingredients for the stuffing and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.

To Assemble

Prep your "shells." If you are using squash blossoms, rinse them gently under cool water and pat to dry; remove the stamen by gently pinching and removing. You can also use a small paring knife. If you are using zucchini, use a mandolin to creat thin slices approx 1/8 – 1/4 in. thick. If you are using regular pasta, cook according to package instructions, slightly under cooking, as they will continue to soften while they bake.
Coat the bottom of a 9" X 13" baking dish with tomato sauce.
Stuff the "shells" with your vegan stuffing and gently lay in the baking dish.
Once all the shells are stuffed, cover with remaining sauce and a generous sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the blossoms start to roast. Serve as an entree or a side, and garnish with vegan Parmesan and fresh basil.