Healthier Broccoli and Spinach Stuffed Shells

A few years ago, I made a chocolate cake that I had found on a blog which used chickpeas in place of the flour and other stuff that goes into cake.  The blog promised that it was a guiltless chocolate cake, that I wouldn't even be able to taste the secret ingredient.  Imagine that, absolutely divine chocolate cake and it would be healthy too? Amazing.  Well, let me tell you, I was hopeful and made that cake.  And you know what it tasted like?  It tasted like I had combined chickpeas and cocoa and was proudly calling it cake, while really it tasted like chickpeas and cocoa.  An awkward combination, to say the least.
Now the reason I rant about this "cake" (I can put it in quotations, now that you know the end of the story, so you can see it for the impostor that it is) is because I need everyone to know that I am fully aware that healthy things do not always taste as good as the originals, no matter how much they try.  Ahem, "cake".  With that said, though, I want to share the broccoli and spinach stuffed shells I made the other night.  I'm not calling them health food but I can definitely say that they're healthier than the normal version, and taste really good too- and not in that "oh hey I'm a chickpea but I totally blend into a cake.....NOT" kind of way.

Because of some of the variations from normal shells, this version is also a lot lighter so you don't feel gross and overloaded in that why-did-I-just-eat-10-pounds-of-cheese way that only Italian, or possibly French, food can do to you.  Besides loading the shells with lots of delicious greenery, the biggest change is that I sub out half of the ricotta for tofu.  But I promise, it has the exact same texture as the ricotta, especially when in the shells, and you know what?  You could serve this to most people and they would have no idea they were eating tofu.  Mwahaha.  This recipe is really similar to the lasagna I posted about a while ago, but in a more portable form.  Not that anyone has ever considered stuffed shells a portable, on-the-go food.  Whatever.

Ingredients:

• Large shell pasta
• Tomato sauce- make your own, or cheat and use a good jarred version.  Something basil-y and garlic-y is always a bonus.
• Part skim mozzarella- either one block or one package of pre-shredded cheese.  Freshly shredded is better, but I won't judge if you get the pre-shredded kind.  This stuff happens sometimes.
• 2/3 block firm tofu
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 package frozen spinach (or a bunch of fresh works too, obviously)
• 1 medium onion
• Small container (maybe 16 oz?) part skim ricotta cheese.  I don't recommend the non-fat kind, I think it's a bit flavorless.
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil
• Shaved parmesan (optional)

This is a terrible blurry picture.  But see how they're cooking!

Directions:

1. If you're making homemade sauce, start that first so the flavors have time to meld.
2. Press the block of tofu for about 20 minutes. 
3. Chop the onion and broccoli into small pieces.  
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan.  Add in the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes, then throw in the broccoli, spinach, minced garlic, and a decent sprinkling of salt.  Stir and then cover so the veggies can steam, but stir every few minutes.  Once the veggies are cooked through (but not overcooked!) remove the pan from the heat to let it cool a bit.
5. While the veggies are cooking, cook the shells just until they're al dente.  You want them al dente so they hold their shape when being stuffed- plus they'll cook a bit more in the oven later.  When they're cooked and drained, toss them with a bit of olive oil so they don't stick together.
6. Crumble your now-pressed tofu into a large bowl.  Combine with the ricotta and about half of the shredded mozzarella.  
7. Add the partially cooled veggies to the cheese mixture.  The veggies don't have to be totally cold, but you don't want them steaming hot because they'll melt the cheese and make it all goopy.
8. Add in seasoning to your liking.  Here's the trick- don't be skimpy with the seasoning!  It's easy to make shells too bland.  Lots of oregano, basil, garlic, and salt (without being overpowering, of course) are what really gives these shells a pop of flavor.  Yes, that's contradictory, but hopefully you see what I'm getting at.

   

   Cooked shells, saucy and cheesy.  Good
   traits in a personality AND in flavoring

9. Time to prep the shells!  You can either make one big pan or a few smaller pans.  I prefer to make a few smaller pans and then only cook one at a time when I want it, so it's fresher.  But maybe you're cooking for a big group.  Make the choice that's best for you.
10. Put some tomato sauce in the bottom of your pan.  Grab a shell and stuff it with the veggie/cheese mixture, then put it in the pan.  Continue this until the shells are crowded into the pan- you don't want a lot of extra space.
11. Cover the shells with tomato sauce.  It doesn't have to heavily covered in sauce, but make sure that there's no bare pasta showing- if you bake that it dries out and gets gross.  Sauce is the nice blanket that keeps everything moist.
12. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the now-sauce-covered shells.  Sprinkle on some parmesan too, if you're into that.  If you want to get really fancy, sprinkle some basil on top too.
13. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the shells are heated through and the cheese is all melty.  The sauce will be bubbling around the sides.

When I made these I made a couple small pans of the shells with tomato sauce etc, and then froze individual non-sauced shells.  I could have frozen the whole shebang with tomato sauce and cheese on top but didn't feel like tying up a pan in the freezer, so instead I put them in tupperware- at a later time I can take them out, blob some sauce on, and ta-da! Fresh (kinda) shells!

Naked shells, ready to be frozen.

These shells have gotten good reviews from everyone I've made them for- and no one can taste the tofu! But you'll just have to trust me and make them yourself.