Stuffed Shells

These festive looking shells can be assembled the day before and then baked right before serving. Recipe makes one large (9" x 13") baking dish plus a small (8" x 8") one, about 40 shells total.

1 12 oz. box jumbo pasta shells
2 24 oz. jars spaghetti sauce

2 lbs. extra firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 to 4 cups raw spinach or kale, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Filling: Place tofu, nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder and salt into a food processor and process until smooth. Lightly steam the spinach or kale. Drain, squeezing most of the liquid out. Stir into the filling along with chopped basil.

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water, drain again.

Pour half a jar of spaghetti sauce in bottom of large baking dish and another cup of sauce into bottom of a smaller baking dish. Using a spoon, stuff the cooked pasta shells with filling, and place them on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake at 350f for 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Sprinkle with vegan parmesan if desired: 1/4 cup ground walnuts
                                                                   2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
                                                                   1/2 teaspoon salt

Pasta and Beans

2 cups onions, diced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
24 oz. pasta sauce
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15 oz. can white beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
16 oz. Rigatoni or other pasta

In a large skillet, saute' onion and mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons of water for 10 minutes, adding more water, a tablespoon at a time, when necessary to keep food from sticking to the pan. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Pour in remaining water, seasonings, pasta sauce, tomatoes, beans and simmer 20 minutes.

In a large pot, boil pasta according to directions on package. Add corn to the boiling water during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta/corn and stir together with the tomato/bean mixture.

Spaghetti Pie

This hearty pasta dish is easy to put together. Mix the cooked pasta and sauce together. Layer half of the mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Spread on the tofu ricotta followed by the remaining pasta-and-sauce mixture. Top with nutty parmesan "cheese." Bake at 350f covered for 25 minutes, uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

Pasta
1 lb. spaghetti or linguini pasta - cook according to package  directions

Sauce
2  jars spaghetti sauce (24 or 32 oz.)
1 to 2 cups chopped onion
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

In a large skillet, saute' onion and mushrooms for 10 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons water along with the garlic and cook another minute. Pour in spaghetti sauce and cook 10 minutes or until onions are tender.

Tofu "Ricotta"
2 blocks firm tofu, drained
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (or 1 T dried flakes)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir ricotta ingredients together in a large bowl.

"Parmesan" Topping
1/2 cup cashews or walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Finely chop in a food processor.

Parmesan topping keeps nicely in a baggie in the freezer. If desired, make extra topping to have on hand for other savory dishes.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

No animal products and no oil are in this healthier version of the classic macaroni and cheese. The "cheese" sauce is mainly potatoes and carrots. Nutritional yeast and lemon juice help give it a tangy cheddar flavor.

16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

"Cheese" Sauce
16 oz peeled potatoes (about 2) cut into 1" pieces
8 oz carrots (about 2) cut into 1" slices
1/4 cup diced onion (optional)
3 cups water - for cooking potatoes and carrots, save the cooking water to add some to the blender
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon tahini (optional)
1 Tablespoon miso paste (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Boil potatoes, carrots and onion in water in a saucepan on top of the stove for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. While the vegetables are cooking, place the other cheese sauce ingredients in a blender. Transfer the hot cooked vegetables with a slotted spoon to the blender. Add one cup of the hot water from the pan, Since the vegetables and water are hot, loosely place the top on the blender. Blend carefully, adding more hot water a little at a time to get a good sauce consistency. (About 1 1/2 cups water.)

Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained macaroni. At this point it could be ready to eat. If desired, spread into a 9x13" baking dish and bake at 350f for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle optional chopped nut topping on during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Parmesan "Cheese" Topping (optional)
1/2 c cashews (or other nuts)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend nuts, "nooch" and salt in blender to a finely chopped consistency being careful not to over-blend and end up with nut butter.

* * *

There are many ways to make the cheeze sauce. Instead of the carrots, use sweet potato or roasted red bell pepper. For richer flavor, add a half cup cashews or other nuts.

Instead of macaroni, use the cheese sauce on top of baked potato with steamed broccoli, or with rice and beans.

Vegetable Mac and Cheese Variation: Use 8 oz. pasta, 2 cups steamed cauliflower, 2 cups steamed broccoli, 1/2 cup diced steamed carrots, 1 1/2 cups diced baked potato.

Veggie Lasagna

This recipe makes enough for one 9" X 13" dish and one 8" X 8" pan, about 15 to 18 servings.

veggie lasagna

Veggie lasagna can be rather time consuming to make so it helps to divide the work by preparing the fillings the day before.

spinach-mushroom, sweet potato, tofu "ricotta"
carrot-red pepper-corn, 

Cook the pasta, layer into pans with fillings and sauce, then bake and serve.  If you want to completely assemble the lasagna in advance and refrigerate before baking, then add 15 minutes to baking time.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lasagna macaroni, cooked and drained
3 25 oz jars organic pasta sauce

Sweet potato layer
4 sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

Spinach layer
1/4 cup water, veg. stock or wine
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 (10 ounce) packages chopped spinach

Tofu layer
1 pound firm tofu
1 pound silken tofu
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup nondairy milk

Carrot - red bell pepper - corn layer
2 red bell peppers, roasted and diced

2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup water or vegetable stock
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt-free seasoning

Toppings

4 or 5 thinly sliced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups finely chopped raw cashews


Making the Layers

Sweet potato layer: Scrub sweet potatoes, then pierce holes all over with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in 400f oven for 45 minutes or until done. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off and mash the sweet potatoes with a fork.

spinach-mushroom

Spinach-mushroom layer: Thaw spinach and squeeze most of liquid out. In a large skillet, saute onion in 1/4 cup of liquid (use water, spinach liquid, vegetable broth or wine) for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes. Add garlic, basil, oregano and nutmeg and saute one more minute. Mix in spinach and cook a few more minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

tofu "ricotta"

Tofu "ricotta" layer: Place firm and silken tofu in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in remaining ingredients.

carrot-red bell pepper-corn

Carrot-pepper-corn layer: Roast the red bell peppers - Remove stems and seeds and cut each pepper into 3 or 4 flat slabs. Arrange the slabs of pepper on a cookie sheet skin side up. Broil about 5 or 10 minutes or until pepper skin is blackened. Immediately transfer roasted pepper pieces to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside to cool. Peel the charred skin off. Dice the peppers.

In a large skillet, saute carrots in 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock for 2 minutes. Add thyme, salt-free seasoning, and roasted peppers, continue to cook another minute. Add the corn, cover and cook about 3 minutes or until corn is heated through.

Putting it all together

Preheat oven to 350f.

Pour a small amount of pasta sauce into each baking dish, enough to coat the bottom.  Cover with a layer of cooked pasta and then layer on the fillings, sauce and pasta in any order.

Example: sauce, pasta, spinach, pasta, sweet potato, carrot-pepper-corn, sauce, pasta, spinach, tofu-ricotta, sauce, pasta, topping of sliced tomatoes and sauce.

Bake covered with foil for 40 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on cashews, bake 15 more minutes.

9" X 13" dish and 8" X 8" pan

Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.