Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells
Ingredients
Mint Basil Pesto
- 1 1/4 cups fresh mint
- 3/4 cup fresh basil
- 3 Tbsp cashews
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3-6 Tbsp water
Vegan Ricotta
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 package (200 grams) cashew cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells
- 2-4 cups pasta sauce of choice enough to coat 2 lasagna pans
- 1 package large pasta shells
- fresh basil as garnish
- 1 Tbsp olive oil to drizzle
Instructions
Mint Basil Pesto
- To a food processor add mint, basil, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast. (or use a hand blender, or crush manually with a mortal and pestle.
- Add olive oil and water until desire consistency is achieved.
- Continue to blend with food processor or hand mixer (or with pestle and mortar).
- Taste and add more salt, lemon juice and/or nutritional yeast if desired and mix.
Vegan Ricotta
- Drain 1 package of tofu and crumble into a bowl.
- Add 1 block of soft cashew cheese (I used 200 gram package of Spread Em Cashew Cheeze Block) and mix until combined.
- Add salt and garlic powder and mix.
Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells
- Cook pasta shells according to package until al dente.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Coat two 13 X 9 inch lasagna pans with a layer of pasta sauce. (Enough to coat bottom of your pans but not drown the shells in sauce).
- Stuff each pasta shell with the vegan ricotta and pesto and place in pans without overlapping. (approximately 12 large shells per pan, 24 in total).
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Place in oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan!