Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Gourmet Version)

Make the Pumpkin Tofu Ricotta. Drain the tofu and dab away some excess water with a towel. Place the tofu in a food processor. Add in the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Blend until the mixture is creamy and thick, scraping down the sides as you go. Taste, adding more salt or lemon juice as desired.
Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl. Add in the pumpkin, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese (if using). Fold together using a silicone spatula. Taste the filling and adjust the seasonings accordingly, adding more salt, pepper, or nutmeg as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the jumbo shells.
While the water comes to a boil, infuse the milk. In a saucepan, combine the oat milk, thyme and sage sprigs, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, several cracks of pepper, and a few grates of fresh nutmeg, if desired. Heat over medium-low heat and gradually bring it to a gentle simmer. Once gently simmering, remove from the heat. Strain the milk in a sieve, discarding the herb sprigs and bay leaf. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the leeks. While the water is coming to a boil, peel the tough outer layers and discard, along with any bruised tops. Slice the leeks pretty thinly, about 1/8” (.3 cm) thick, including the dark green tops. Add the leeks to a large bowl and cover with cold water.
a. Let rest for a few minutes. In the meantime, chop the garlic.
b. Run your hands in the water to loosen the dirt from the leeks, then scoop the leeks out using your hands or a slotted spoon (don’t drain or the dirt will go back into the leeks). Pat the leeks dry.
Cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously. Add the shells and cook according to the box instructions’ minimum cook time for just al dente (do not overcook!), stirring occasionally. Drain well and transfer cooked shells to a sheet pan. Drizzle with just a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Arrange an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175°C).
Make the Béchamel Sauce. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with the 4 TBSP olive oil. Once hot, add the leeks and season with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or until quite soft and starting to brown on the edges.
Scoop out a bit more than half of the leeks into a bowl. Set aside.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the leeks. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the flour, whisking or stirring constantly for 1 minute until thick. Gradually pour in the Infused Milk in stages, whisking after each addition to prevent clumps. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened. Take off the heat.
Blend the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce for seasonings, adding salt or pepper as needed.
Assemble. Spoon the pumpkin ricotta filling into each jumbo pasta shell.
a. Pour a thin layer of the Béchamel Sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Arrange the stuffed jumbo shells on top of the sauce. Scatter the reserved sautéed leeks on top.
b. Pour the remaining Béchamel Sauce on top of the shells. Bake the stuffed shells for about 22 minutes, or until the pasta shells are lightly golden on the edges.
While the shells bake, make the fried sage leaves, if using. Pour the oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Bring the oil up to 350ºF to 360ºF (~180ºC); it will take 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, line the sheet pan used to store the pasta shells with a few layers of paper towels.
a. To test if the oil is hot enough, add one sage leaf. If it sizzles quite a lot immediately, it’s hot enough. Add the rest of the sage leaves and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. Once the bubbles become less intense, 20 to 40 seconds, use the slotted spoon to scoop the leaves out of the oil and onto the lined sheet pan.
b. Season the leaves lightly with kosher salt. The sage will get crisp as it cools.
Top the warm stuffed shells with whole fried sage leaves, or use your hands to crush up the crispy sage leaves all over the shells. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Gourmet Version)

Ingredients

Pumpkin Ricotta Filling

Pasta

Infused Milk

Garlic & Leek Béchamel Sauce

Fried Sage Leaves (optional)

Instructions

Notes