Vegan Ricotta and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for five minutes, stirring gently a few times. Drain the shells and allow them to cool on a cookie sheet, gently separating any that stuck together.

Heat a saute pan over a medium low heat and add the oil.
Chop the onion and add it to the pan, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Then mince the garlic and add it to the onions.

Slice the sausages lengthwise twice (i.e. into fourths, lengthwise) and then cut the slices into little pieces. Add the sausage to the onion pan and cook for another five minutes.

Add the spinach and stir continuously until it starts to wilt and then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.

Put the sour cream in a large bowl. Pat the tofu dry and cut it into four pieces. In the palm of your hand, gently squeeze out any excess water from the tofu and then add the tofu to the sour cream. Repeat this step with each piece of tofu. Add the salt and basil and mash the tofu up with the sour cream. Add the cooled sausage mixture to sour cream mixture and stir.

Put a thin layer of pasta sauce into the bottom of your baking dish.

Using a soup spoon, scoop up a heaping spoonful of the filling and insert it into each shell. Set the shell into the pan and repeat until you’ve used up all of the filling.
(you may have some left over shells).

(At this point you can freeze half of the stuffed shells if you want to have some for another meal later).

Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and bake for 30 minutes. Serve garnished with some sauteed mushrooms and serve.