Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• Squash

  Winter, butternut, raw

  1 cup, cubes or 140g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Jumbo Shells

  Barilla

  16 pieces or 160g

• Cashew nuts

  Nuts, raw

  8 oz or 227g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 cup or 237g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 clove or 6g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  1 lemon yields or 47g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Spinach

  Raw

  4 cup or 120g

• Tofu

  Firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)

  1 cup or 252g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, leaves or 1g

• Lemon zest

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Crushed red pepper flakes

  ¼ tsp or 0.08g

Directions

1. *If not using a high-power blender, soak the cashews in water for a few hours or overnight to ensure creaminess. Drain and rinse when ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Peel and cube the butternut squash, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Prepare the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente, then drain.
5. Blend the drained cashews, water, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth to make the cashew cream. Adjust seasonings as needed.
6. Sauté the spinach with olive oil and salt until wilted. Let cool, squeeze out excess liquid, and chop. Combine with crumbled tofu, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and cashew cream. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Fill the shells with the spinach and tofu mixture and roasted butternut squash cubes. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350°F.