Italian Stuffed Shells

I’m not super big on tofu, but since I love stuffed shells so much, this dairy-free version is much healthier.  These little morsels are so delicious; you’ll never miss the cheese.

What you’ll need:
1 box of shells
2 blocks of tofu
1 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. Sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 4 tsp. Minced)
2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. Parma or nutritional yeast
4 grinds of pepper (or to taste)
1 package Follow Your Heart mozzarella cheese
1 ½ jars of pasta sauce (I like a cabernet marinara)

1)    Start by measuring out the olive oil and place in a small cup or bowl.
2)    Mince the garlic and add that to the oil.  Combine with the oregano, basil, and parsley.  Stir, and let sit till ready to use.
3)    Start a big pot of boiling water.  I like to add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.
4)    Open the packages of tofu, and slice each block into 5.  Lightly press and drain in between paper towels.  Repeat one more time.
5)    In a large mixing bowl, using a fork or pastry blender, mash up the tofu with the tahini, lemon juice, Parma, pepper and olive oil mixture until you get a crumbly consistency and the flavor is spread out.  During this step you may need to add the shells, depending on if your water is boiling or not.
6)    Next, if the pot is boiling, add the noodles to the water if you haven’t already done so.  Cook for about 2/3 of the recommended cooking time.  My box of shells said 14-16 minutes, and I did them for 10.
7)    Make sure to stir the noodles often, so they don’t stick together!
8)    Drain the noodles and thoroughly rinse under cold water.
9)    In a 9 × 13 baking dish (I use a glass one) lightly coat with olive oil.  Pour a little on a paper towel and wipe the bottom, corners and halfway up the sides.
10)    Preheat the oven to 350°
11)    Using a cereal spoon, scoop a heaping spoonful into the shell.  Careful when opening up the shell to put in the mix!  You don’t want it to break!
12)    Arrange in rows in the pan, it should fit the whole box.
13)    Open the sauce and gently pour on, making sure that all of them are covered.  I like to take a spoon and spread the sauce to any spots missing some so the noodles don’t get dry or hard while baking.
14)    Shred the cheese and sprinkle over the top.
15)    Cover with foil and let bake for 45 minutes.
16)    Remove foil, change the oven to broil, and let the cheese melt.  It should take about 4-6 minutes and you might need to adjust the rack in the oven to be a little higher.
17)    I like to scoop them out with a giant serving spoon or a soup ladle would work too.
18)    Enjoy!