Tofu Stuffed Shells with Dill, Lemon and Zucchini

Vegan stuffed jumbo pasta shells with tofu, dill, lemon, and zucchini make a flavorful and protein-packed meal. A lightly spiced sweet potato sauce complements the freshness of the dill filling, but almost any other sauce works as well.

I have been on a stuffed shell kick lately. Stuffed shells are so comforting! And for a one-dish meal has pretty decent protein to carb ratio.

Everyone knows about ricotta stuffed shells, but what about tofu? Tofu stuffed shells are not just for vegans. They are delicious in their own right! Tofu as a filling can take on so much flavor and is more moist than ricotta cheese.

Tofu is very adaptable and makes a healthy stuffed shell variation. Aside from stuffing shells, you can also use this filling as a stuffing for buns, momos, dumplings, et cetera!!

Here is what you need

1 block extra firm tofu (350 g)

1 lemon

2 small zucchinis

1 small bunch dill (roughly ¾ cup chopped)

1 tablespoon miso paste

2 tablespoons tahini

Black pepper and red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

20-22 jumbo pasta shells 2 cups sauce

Why this recipe for tofu stuffed shells work

Visually and texturally, crumbled extra-firm tofu is very similar to ricotta. Ricotta is creamier than tofu, so we need to add some extra fat to the crumbled tofu to mimic the spreadable texture of ricotta. That is where the tahini comes in.

Lemon juice and zest adds acidity and brightness.

Ricotta is often paired with spinach, but I think that zucchini is even better. For one, grated zucchini cooks quickly in the oven and you don’t need to wilt it down first like spinach. For another, zucchini makes the shells so juicy, they remind me a bit of soup dumplings!

With the tahini adding creaminess and lemon adding acidity, the tofu filling is quite similar to ricotta. HOWEVER, note that tofu is not the same as ricotta! If you go in expecting an exact match, you may be disappointed. That is not to say that one is better or worse, they are simply different!

What sauces can I use with tofu stuffed shells?

Stuffed shells are most often baked in a tomato marinara sauce, but in my opinion many smooth, thick, puree-type soup would work quite well in place of marinara sauce.

After all, what is soup but a thin sauce? For these photos and video, I used some leftover sweet potato soup in place of pasta sauce. The method is outlined below.

I think this kind of squash soup would also work very well as a sauce: 20-minute Spicy Kabocha Squash Soup.

Sweet potato soup turned into sauce

If you want to make my curried sweet potato soup that also works as a sauce, this sections outlines what I used and how I made it.

You will need:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, chopped
• broth or water
• 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt, to taste

Saute one chopped onion in a pot with some olive oil. Once softened and caramelized, add two sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes, and enough stock or water to cover. Once vegetables are tender, blend with an immersion blender.

Then make the tadka by heating 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil in a small pot, with ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to brown turn the flame to low and add 1 tsp curry powder and ½ tsp chili powder. Turn off heat and add to the soup. Season with salt.

Tips for making tofu stuffed shells

• Make sure to remove the tender bits of dill from any stalks that are too hard. The dill should be chopped quite finely so that it is easy to mix into the filling.
• If you want filling with a smoother texture, instead of crumbling the tofu by hand, you can process it in a food processor with the tahini, lemon juice, and miso paste.
• You can prepare stuffed shells ahead of time by stuffing the shells and assembling the dish. Cover and put in the fridge. When it is time to eat, bake as usual in a preheated oven.
• When stuffing the shells, the easiest way for maximal filling is to hold the shell in one hand while spooning filling with your other hand. Open up the shells with your palm or fingers by lightly squeezing the two points. Spoon in some filling, then push the filling into the lidded side of the shell (i.e. the side that is more curled). This makes room for more filling, which you can spoon and smooth out.

Print Recipe

Tofu and Zucchini Stuffed Pasta Shells with Lemon and Dill

Vegan stuffed jumbo pasta shells with tofu, dill, lemon, and zucchini make a flavorful and protein packed meal.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion, Indian, Italian

Diet: Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Baked, Dill, Dinner, Make-ahead, Pasta, Shells, Tofu, Zucchini

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu 350 g
• 1 lemon
• 2 small zucchinis
• 1 small bunch dill roughly ¾ cup chopped
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• Black pepper and red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 20-22 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups sauce marinara or other sauce. In the photos and video, I use a curried sweet potato sauce which is really leftover soup – see notes on how

Instructions

• Crumble the tofu in a large bowl. Zest and juice the lemon into the tofu. Grate the zucchinis and chop the dill, then add to the tofu.
• Season the tofu with miso paste, tahini, black and red pepper, and mix until well combined (the miso and tahini in particular should be well distributed).
• Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water according to package directions, removing the pasta shells one or two minutes before al dente. Drain well and let cool until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• To a large baking pan, spread half of the sauce.
• Stuff the par-cooked pasta shells with the tofu mixture and place in the sauced baking pan. Each shell should hold slightly more than 1 heaping tablespoon of the tofu mixture.
• Once all the pasta shells have been stuffed and arranged, pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells, then drizzle on some olive oil.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes in preheated oven. If desired, broil for 1-5 minutes at the end of the cooking time for additional caramelization.

Video

@hellenshouse

tofu stuffed shells with so much dill and lemon. not ricotta but also a very tasty pasta lunch, just without the cheese! #stuffedshells #stuffedshellsrecipe #veganricotta #veganpasta #cookingreels #vegandinnerideas #vegetarianrecipes #veganrecipes #bakedpasta

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Notes

If you want to make my curried sweet potato soup that also works as a sauce, this is how I made it: saute one chopped onion in a pot with some olive oil. Once softened and caramelized, add two sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes, and enough stock or water to cover. Once vegetables are tender, blend with an immersion blender.
Then make the tadka by heating 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil in a small pot, with ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to brown turn the flame to low and add 1 tsp curry powder and ½ tsp chili powder. Turn off heat and add to the soup. Season with salt.