creamy stuffed jumbo shells.

ingredients:
1 medium potato, diced into very small cubes
1 large carrot, diced very small
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 link large tube veggie sausage
1 8 oz. container soy cream cheese
1 12 oz. package medium firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian herb medley (a mixture of basil, oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, rosemary and sage)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 jar pasta sauce (marinara or tomato basil flavor)
1 box jumbo shells

instructions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta shells according to the package directions.

3.) While your pasta is cooking start preparing the following:  In a small pan, brown the garlic and onions in a bit of oil and add the sausage.  It looks like a large orange/red sausage with a plastic casing. Cut one end of the casing and squeeze out the "meat" into your pan. It kind of resembles ground taco meat. Only use half of the meat. You may use more if you want your dish to have a meatier texture and spicier taste. Once the sausage gets a bit brown and kind of crispy, turn off the heat and set it aside.

4.) In another larger pot or pan, brown your carrots and potato in a bit of oil. Add about 1 cup or so of water and put the lid on your pot. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so until the veggies are soft.

5.) In the meantime, put your drained tofu into a bowl and add the garlic powder and Italian herbs. Mix all together. You may add salt and pepper if you like.

6.) Once the potato and carrots are tender, add the herbed tofu, soy cream cheese and lemon juice to the pot. Season with more salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture gets all creamy and then add the cooked sausage, the thawed spinach, nutritional yeast and nutmeg. Stir for a while to incorporate all ingredients and then remove from heat.

7.) When your jumbo shells are cooked, drain them from the water and begin to stuff them with the veggie/tofu/sausage mixture.

8.) Put a little bit of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish to keep the shells from sticking to it. Line up your filled shells into your baking dish and pour remainder of pasta sauce on top.  Cover tight with foil and bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serves: 6-8