Vegan Ricotta Stuffed Pasta with Creamy Squash Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and soak half a cup of cashews in hot water for at least 10 minutes.

Cook the cubed butternut squash by steaming for 10 minutes or boiling until fork tender.

In a pan, sauté onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil for 4 minutes.

In a blender, add the cashews after discarding the water, then add 1.5 cups of filtered water and blend on high until smooth.

Add the cooked onions, garlic, and butternut squash to the blender and blend until smooth, then incorporate the remaining sauce ingredients.

Remove tofu from its package and wrap the tofu block in 2 paper towels, squeeze for 10 seconds, then break apart into a food processor.

To the food processor, add salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder, then pulse 6 to 10 times until the consistency of ricotta cheese is reached and adjust salt and seasonings as needed.

In a pan, add frozen spinach or microwave it for about 2 minutes, season with a small pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the spinach from the pan and add it to the ricotta mixture, pulsing 3 to 4 times to combine.

Once pasta shells are cooked, drain them and immediately drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking, then spoon the ricotta mixture into each pasta shell and place them in a prepared skillet with the sauce, repeating with remaining shells and filling.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.