Vegan Pistachio Ricotta Pasta Shells
Sautéed with vegan butter, fresh sage, and garlic, this dish is elevated to a new level of taste and aroma. Crushed pistachios and a squeeze of lemon juice add a zingy finish to this delicious recipe.
Vegan Pistachio Ricotta Pasta Shells
Sautéed with vegan butter, fresh sage, and garlic, this dish is elevated to a new level of taste and aroma. Crushed pistachios and a squeeze of lemon juice add a zingy finish to this delicious recipe.
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Servings: 2 -4 servings
Ingredients
- 16 egg-free jumbo pasta shells
For the filling:
- 3 shallots chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or to taste
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 2.5 ounces 70 grams shelled pistachios, finely chopped (using a food processor or the pulse function of a blender)
- 2 cups of baby spinach chopped
- 1 cup of vegan ricotta cheese or 4oz/125g extra firm tofu, crumbled
To sauté:
- 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 handful of fresh sage leaves
- 4-6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
Toppings:
- 1-2 tablespoons pistachios roughly chopped
- Lemon wedges optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells in lightly salted boiling water for 8-9 minutes (or following the package instructions, cooking them al dente).
For the filling:
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté the chopped shallots and minced garlic cloves in the olive oil in a pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to low-medium and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the finely chopped pistachios, vegan ricotta, chopped baby spinach and seasonings (if you’re using tofu instead of ricotta, add it at the same time as the shallots).
- Once the pasta is cooked, rinse with cold water and drain.
- Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta spinach filling using a teaspoon.
- Next, melt the vegan butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium to high heat and once the pan is hot and the butter almost fully melted, add the pasta shells. Add a lid (if you have one) and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the sage and garlic (adding a little more butter as well if needed), close with a lid again and cook for another 1-3 minutes, or until both the sage and garlic are crispy (be sure to watch the skillet closely to ensure the sage doesn’t burn).
- Transfer the shells to plates, drizzle and remaining butter on top and top with crushed pistachios. Serve with lemon wedges (squeeze the lemon juice on top before eating) and enjoy.
Notes
- This makes 4 servings as a side dish and 2 servings as a main dish
- Once filled, instead of sautéing the pasta shells in the the vegan butter, you can also bake them in the oven with your sauce of choice for about 10 minutes at 200C/400F.
Does this travel/reheat well? Thinking of making for a holiday dish to share at a friends…. Looks delish! Can’t wait to try either way.
Hi Caroline! Yes, definitely! I actually love the filling cold as well, plus you can easily reheat it in the microwave or oven. You could also refrigerate them before the butter/garlic/sage step and then do that right before serving. Also, I used tofutti’s vegan ricotta, which is super firm, so if you use a more liquid ricotta, it might impact the consistency a bit, but should still be fine:)