Bechamel Sauce:

• 1 white onion, diced
• 100g/½C margarine
• 70g/ ½C  plain flour
• 1 t yellow mustard
• 750ml/3¼ C soymilk
• 1 bay leaf
• 10g/ ¼C nutritional yeast
• pinch of fresh nutmeg, grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 bag spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tubs extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1 T parsley, dried
• 1 T basil, dried
• 1 T oregano, dried
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 t lemon juice
• 10g/ ¼C nutritional yeast

salt and pepper, to taste

How to:

Cook pasta 2/3 of recommended cooking time (ie- bag says 15 min, cook for 10 min). It will be still firm, it will cook more in the oven.

• For the bechamel sauce:

• In a saucepan, lightly saute the onions with the butter.
• When soft, add the flour and stir until it becomes a paste.
• Whisk in milk, mustard, and bay leaf.
• Bring to low boil until it thickens.
• Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
• Stir in salt and pepper, to taste
• Place plastic wrap on the top of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.

  

  For the tofu ricotta:

• Lightly wilt spinach, drain, and pat dry.
• In a bowl, combine the rest of the filling ingredients: tofu, herbs, nutritional yeast, and seasoning.
• Crumble together until completely mixed and no large chunks are left. Use your hands! Massage that tofu!
• Stir spinach in gently.

*If you are doing the full recipe, you may need 2 average baking dishes OR a deep dish that will have 2 layers of shells.

• In your baking dish, lightly cover the bottom with a layer of bechamel sauce.

• Stuff your shells with the tofu ricotta; do not over stuff or you will run out of filling.
• Arrange shells on top of bechamel sauce.

• Pour more bechamel sauce on top of shells. You will have enough sauce for how much you are making, whether it is one small dish, or a large dish with 2 layers.

• Pour a layer of tomato sauce on top. Once again, this could be everything, or just enough for one layer.

• If necessary, start a new, second layer of shells, and repeat.

• Scrape any last bechamel sauce stuck to the pan and drizzle on top of the tomato sauce. It’s not necessary, but it looks nice!

• Bake 30 min.