By @ayloulfoods

Edited by Homegrown Market

 Ingredients:

• 15-20 pasta shells

1- Béchamel

• 3 tbsp. vegan butter or olive oil
• 2 tbsp. flour (I used whole wheat)
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/4-1/2 cup sautéd mushrooms (optional)

2- Pesto

• 1 cup basil leaves packed
• 1 cup spinach and or arugula packed
• 1/3 cup nuts (I used pine nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (depending on desired consistency)
• 1-2 tbsp. vegan Parmesan
• Juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

3- Ricotta Filling

• For every cup of Ayloul’s Almond Ricotta 
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/4-1/2 cup sauted spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Once the pasta has cooked, strain and set aside.

3. Combine the fresh leaves, nuts, garlic, olive oil, Vegan Parmesan, salt, pepper and lemon juice into your food processor. Blend until combined to desired consistency. 

4. For the Béchamel Sauce. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat and add the butter and the flour, whisking constantly for a minute until well incorporated. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continually to prevent clumps.

Cook until the sauce has thickened. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix and set aside.

5. You don’t have to stick to the quantities when Preparing the ricotta filling, as it all depends on your preference. In a bowl mix Ayloul’s ricotta cheese , pesto, spinach and salt until uniform. Taste the filling for seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as desired. 

6. Assemble the dish. Pour half the Béchamel Sauce in the baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the shells. Sprinkle some vegan Parmesan

7. Bake the stuffed shells for 25 minutes, or until the pasta shells are lightly golden.

 Serve & enjoy! 

You will find our cheeses at @homegrown_market