My sister in law is coming for dinner and she’s a vegan. What to do? I look up a recipe for the above and it’s a bit bland, so I add a dollop of tamarind paste. The dish is great with Taft Street Sauvignon Blanc. Pure vegans don’t do semolina pasta, but I draw the line there.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½, butternut squash, cut into small cubes
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 20 jumbo shells
- CASHEW CREAM
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Fresh ground pepper
FILLING:
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup cashew cream
- ¼ cup tamarind paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and toss squash with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
- In blender, mix cashews, water, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Cook spinach in oiled skillet until wilted. Let cool and then squeeze out most of the moisture. Chop and add tofu, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, tamarind paste, 1 cup of cashew cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- In a large pot bring water to boil and cook shells until al dente. Drain.
- Spread ½ cup cashew cream on the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each shell with filling and a few cubes of squash. Put in dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with remaining cashew cream.
Serves 4