Vegan Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

3. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds, carefully remove skin, cut into chunks, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 25 minutes.

Ricotta

1. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and place raw almonds in it, let boil for 2 minutes.

2. Drain the almonds and rinse with cold water to cool, then blot dry with a paper towel.

3. Gently squeeze the almonds to loosen and remove the skin, then set aside.

4. Remove tofu from package, wrap in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, and squeeze to strain excess water for 20 seconds.

5. In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine tofu, blanched almonds, nutritional yeast, unsweetened almond milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; blend for 1-2 minutes until no chunks remain, adding more almond milk if needed.

6. In a small pan, cook chopped spinach with 1 tablespoon of water for 1 minute or until wilted.

7. Combine the ricotta mixture and wilted spinach in a medium bowl and mix well, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Sauce

1. Blend the baked pumpkin with raw cashews, unsweetened almond milk, water, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and garlic powder until smooth.

Assembly

1. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with the ricotta mixture.

2. Place the stuffed shells in a baking dish, pour the pumpkin sauce over them, and bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, approximately 20-30 minutes.