Vegan Spinach and ‘Ricotta’ Filled Giant Pasta Shells in Tomato Sauce
By OcadoLife
Published on 16 January 2023
The base for this clever vegan ricotta is soaked almonds. Delicious alongside a rich tomato sauce. Looking for more vegan recipes? Look no further.Time and servings
1 hr 20 minsTotal time
4Servings
20 minsPrep time
1 hrCooking time
Ingredients
- 200 g of flaked almonds, for the vegan ricotta
- 1 tbsp of nuritional yeast, for the vegan ricotta
- 6 tbsp of oatly crème fraîche, for the vegan ricotta
- 1 lemon, for the vegan ricotta
- 0.5 tsp of fine sea salt, for the vegan ricotta
- 400 g of baby spinach
- 1 large of onion, diced
- 1 dash of basil, to servve
- 1 handful of vegan parmesan, to serve
- 24 conchiglioni shells
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 680 g of passata
- 30 g of basil, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
- 1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Step 1
Start with the vegan ricotta. Soak the almonds in cool water overnight for at least 4 hrs, or in boiling water for 5 mins.Step 2
Drain the nuts and blitz in a food processor with the rest of the ‘ricotta’ ingredients until it looks like ricotta – a thick paste with a grainy texture. Scoop into a mixing bowl and set aside.Step 3
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Boil a large pan of salted water and cook the pasta for 3 mins less than the pack instructions (usually 15 mins, so cook for 12). Drain and toss in olive oil to stop them sticking.Step 4
Using the same saucepan, wilt the spinach in a splash of water until it is just cooked through, then squeeze out any excess water in a colander and transfer to a chopping board. Chop finely and add to the ‘ricotta’. Mix together well with some black pepper.Step 5
Rinse the same saucepan and add the olive oil for the tomato sauce. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 mins. Add the passata, basil, nutmeg and some seasoning. Simmer for 10 mins then use a stick blender to make it smooth. Pour this into a large, shallow casserole dish.Step 6
Take a pasta shell and fill with some of the ‘ricotta’ and spinach mix. Place the shell into the tomato sauce. Repeat until you’ve filled all the shells.Step 7
Place the casserole dish into the hot oven for 30 mins until bubbling and golden.