All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

~



Click the image above to watch the video.

This is another very easy dish.

Vegan sausage is usually pretty nasty but I keep hoping I can find a way to doctor it up & make it edible and, finally, with this dish – I SUCCEEDED! The secret was a pinch of fennel & a shit ton of crushed red pepper. The filling in these shells was so delicious – I kept eating it directly out of the pan. A few simple ingredients, a half hour in the oven – and you are neck deep in heaven. Trust!

Vegan Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

(This makes enough to fill three pie dishes)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb dry fill-able pasta shells (any variety works)

Olive oil

4 vegan sausages – chopped

1 lb fresh spinach (or kale or arugula or other greens of your choice)

4-10 garlic cloves (depending on the size & your passion for garlic) – coarsely chopped

2 (10 to 15 oz) cans chopped tomatoes (I used Rotel & fire roasted tomatoes)

1 lb vegan ricotta

8 oz or more vegan mozzarella

1/2 cup grated vegan Parmesan

1 tsp dry fennel

1 tsp dry oregano

1 TBS crushed red pepper (I used closer to 3 TBS but I love spice)

1-2 cups red pasta sauce (I used some spicy Rao’s & spicy Guy Fiery sauces but homemade would be even better)

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta until al dente – or maybe a minute less than the package suggests. Drain & run under cool water.

Heat 1-2 TBS of olive oil in a large saute pan.

Saute the sausage with spices (fennel, oregano & crushed red pepper) until it is begins to brown.

Add the garlic & spinach & tomatoes. Cook until the spinach is just wilted. Season with salt & pepper & blend them in.

Put the mix in a food processor & puree it. Add about 1/3 of your mozzarella & the ricotta. The blending is not strictly necessary but it makes filling the pasta easier if the filling is mushy.

Put some of your pasta sauce on the bottom of a casserole or pie dish. Fill the pasta shells & place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with whatever amount of mozzarella appeals to you and additional sauce, if you like a wetter dish. Maybe sprinkle some vegan Parmesan on there, too. Put it in the oven & bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbly & the pasta is brown in spots. If you want to freeze some – wrap the dish in foil & freeze – UNCOOKED.