Image: © Briana Blair

The surprise in this dish is that it has plenty of authentic Italian flavor, but it’s healthier! Hush, don’t tell anyone! Let your family think they’re getting traditional stuffed shells, and spring it on them after they tell you how great it is!

Things You’ll Need:

32 oz. soft tofu, drained and mashed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp minced chives
1-2 tsp minced parsley
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb jumbo shells pasta
3-4 cups homemade pasta sauce (or your favorite jarred brand)
Curly-leaf Parsley for garnish, chopped

Step 1

Cook jumbo shells in a large pot as per box instructions. Be sure to move them around frequently, and gently separate any that stick together. Leave them just a tad underdone, they’ll cook more later. Drain and allow to cool to a safe-to-touch temperature.

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, mix the tofu, Parmesan, pepper, garlic, parsley, ½ cup mozzarella & chives in large bowl. Place the mixture into a large zip bag and snip off the corner. The bag will act like a pastry bag and save you the headache of spooning the mix into each shell.

Step 3

Place about 1 cup of sauce in bottom of large baking dish so the bottom is covered in a thin layer of sauce.

Step 4

Use the zip bag to pipe about 1 heaping tbsp of filling into each shell. (a 1 lb box usually has about 40 shells) If you overdo it, you can always go back and spoon some of the cheese out into the remaining shells.

Step 5

Place the shells in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce & finish with remaining mozzarella. Make sure the sauce gets between the shells and they are fully covered. Exposed pasta may become too dry after baking.

Step 6

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Serve and garnish with curly parsley.

You can easily freeze leftovers in single-serve dishes, or refrigerate for up to a week. I like to freeze portions and pop them in the microwave with a little extra sauce whenever some are wanted.

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter