Lately, I am on a huge pasta kick. I have had every kind of pasta imaginable.
Pasta has always been an obsession for me, but, I seem to have kicked it into overdrive.
The other day, I had zucchini pesto with spaghetti and its taste is still bouncing around my taste buds.
Eating pasta gives me complete satisfaction. Just one bowl and I full.
If I have broccoli and pasta, I am in food heaven. In pasta, I try to sneak in vegetables, nuts, flax seeds or tomatoes. In the past, fruits have also been in the pasta recipe.
In today’s stuffed shells recipe, I added finely chopped unsalted cashews and it brought some delicious flavor to the recipe. The nutty flavor of cashews was very subtle but delicious. The ricotta cheese has flavor like nothing else does.
To top it off, I made my 9 tomato marinara sauce which, as you may have gathered from the name, is made of 9 different types of tomatoes. The recipe includes Yellow tomatoes, Tomatillos, green tomatoes, Vine ripened tomatoes, Campari, cherry tomatoes and many others.
Then, there is the garlic also! The sauce has a generous amount of garlic in it.
This is the perfect recipe for the first day of Autumn. The weather is about to get cold out there and there is going to be a desperate need for heart warming food. One bite of this stuffed shells dish and the chill is all gone.
This stuffed shells recipe is super simple vegetarian Italian recipe. It only has a few ingredients. The ricotta cheese used in this recipe is vegetarian-friendly. I like mixing the ricotta cheese stuffing the night before and letting it marinate overnight. If that is not an option for you, don’t worry. The dish will taste just as great.
So, what is your current food obsession?
Best Vegan Italian Recipes – By One Green Planet
Recipe Details for Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
For the Stuffing
- 1 packet of pasta shells
- 2 cups marinara sauce (or my 9 tomato marinara sauce marinara sauce )
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese (vegetarian version)
- 1/2 cup of unsalted cashews , finely chopped
- 1 tsp of salt
- Optional:
- 2 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Mix all the ingredients together and store overnight, if possible
For the Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Add the water to the medium sized pot and place it on medium heat
- Once it starts boiling, add the pasta shells and wait for them to be fully cooked
- Let them cool for a few minutes
Bringing everything together
- Fill the shells with the stuffing. Be gentle
- Place the shells in a baking pan or a pie pan
- Add the marinara sauce to the pan
- Place the pan in the oven and allow to page for about 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and serve
Ricotta cheese isn’t vegetarian, it contains rennet. Did you go to a regular school?
Thank you, Peter. Actually, I learned about Rennet in Grade school. It has to do with Calf and that is all I will mention. For years now, I have made my own Ricotta Cheese. My recipe is a slight variation of this recipe by Whole Foods Market. Peter, let us put something positive out in the world.
These look absolutely delicious – I can wait to give them a try!
Thank you, Debra
Oh what a recipe! Yum. I also love pasta no mater what anyone says, I’m eating pasta! This recipe is fun and looks delicious I must try it! Bec x
Thank you so much, Becky. I am always happy to meet other pasta lovers.
G’day LOVE stuffed shells and they so remind me of childhood YUM!
Cheers! Joanne
Thank you, Joanne.
I have been on a pasta kick since I was born! The explanation for my obsession? I am Italian 🙂
This recipe is amazing, I love ricotta
Thank you, Elena! I appreciate it very much. HAHA! I wish I was Italian. That would explain my Pasta obsession. 🙂
This recipe is absolutely fantastic!! I love the combination of ricotta and cashews in the filling. YUM!
Thank you, Nicole. I appreciate the kind words. 🙂
There are no words to use to convey just how much I love this recipe. None. If I thought any satisfaction could be derived from eating my monitor to get to even a taste of these, I’d do it.
Thank you, Michelle! You are sweet for those lovely comments. 🙂
Your stuffed shells are beautiful and look so tasty. A perfect pasta dish for fall. I don’t think I could give up pasta no matter what the pundits say. It is such a warm comforting food.
Blessings,
Shari
Thank you, Shari! I really like pasta too. I am so glad that you enjoy pasta.