Jumbo Stuffed Shells

We baked a pan of these ahead of time and let them cool. We placed them in a rolling cooler and took a train trip down to San Diego. We reheated the shells in the microwave in our hotel room. This was one of the first Vegan Italian dishes we tried and it was a hit (served with Vegan Cabernet wine of course)! Don't be afraid of the amount of spices in this recipe, that's what makes it taste so good and remember no need to add salt! After supper, we sat out under the stars and watched Christopher Cross and Air Supply in concert!

2 c crushed tomatoes

1/2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 T garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 T dried oregano

1 t dried basil

1 t paprika

In a bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil and paprika. Spread a thin layer over the bottom of 9 x 13 pan or baking dish.

1 package (12.3 oz) any silken tofu (Mori-Nu tetra package works well)

1 t fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c nutritional yeast (we use Bragg)

1 T dried basil

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t dried oregano

1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper

4 garlic cloves minced

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry (we recommend chopping it even more so that it is not stringy in your dish) or you could use fresh baby spinach (we prefer fresh) if you have it on hand.

16 cooked jumbo pasta shells (if using manicotti shells (tubular), they are easier to stuff uncooked. Just make sure there is enough liquid so they cook in the sauce and bake them longer).

In a food processor, blend tofu, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, basil, onion powder, oregano, pepper and garlic until smooth. Pour into another bowl. Stir in spinach until well combined. Spoon about 1-1/2 T tofu filling into each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in a prepared pan or baking dish; spread with remaining tomato mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or up to an hour for uncooked shells).