Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

This stuffed shells recipe is great for entertaining. Make it as a vegetarian main at Thanksgiving or serve it for the winter holidays!#Bread#Flatbread

This stuffed shells recipe is great for entertaining. Make it as a vegetarian main at Thanksgiving or serve it for the winter holidays!#Bread#Flatbread

Creamy, tangy, and with a caramelized sweetness from roasted butternut squash, this stuffed shells recipe is one you’re sure to love. It’s loosely based on the other stuffed shells recipe that I made a few years ago. The two recipes differ in that the other is more traditional, served in a simple homemade marinara sauce, but they share the luscious creamy filling that makes them hardly taste vegan. In lieu of any ricotta, Parmesan, or mozzarella cheese, I stuff them with a light, dairy-free “ricotta.” Made from cashew cream, crumbled tofu, herbs, and lemon zest, it’s 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 ditched the marinara here and opted for a bright, creamy cashew sauce. I also stuffed my shells with roasted butternut squash. This stuffed shells recipe has a few steps, but the creamy, cozy pasta & squash are totally worth the effort. Here’s how you make them:

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells , By Best Recipes Demat .

This stuffed shells recipe is great for entertaining. Make it as a vegetarian main at Thanksgiving or serve it for the winter holidays!#Bread#Flatbread

Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

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
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 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 :

• 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 generous pinches of salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make the cashew cream: Blend together the drained raw cashews, fresh water, garlic, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.
• 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, at least ¼ teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1 cup of cashew cream. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Assemble the shells. Spread ¼ cup of the reserved cashew cream on the bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked 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, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining cashew cream.