Recipe (for ~4 servings)

Ingredients

Pasta

1. 1 lb (450 g) shell pasta
2. Salt for boiling

Marinara Base

1. 3 cups (about 24 oz / 680 g) marinara sauceHomemade or store-bought

Spinach–Basil Pesto Filling (vegan)

1. 2 cups fresh spinach (packed)
2. 1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
3. 1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts/almonds)
4. 3–5 garlic cloves, to taste
5. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (start with 1/3 cup, add more if needed)
6. Salt, to taste
7. 1/2–3/4 cup crumbled tofu (soft or firm tofu)
8. (add gradually so it blends into a paste you can pipe)

For baking

1. Vegan cheese, shredded or sliced: 1 to 1.5 cups
2. Optional: black pepper, red chili flakes

Method

1) Boil shells

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
2. Boil shell pasta until just al dente (usually 1–2 minutes less than package).
3. Drain and rinse quickly to prevent sticking.
4. Let cool slightly.

2) Make pesto (spinach + basil + tofu)

1. Add spinach, basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt to a blender/processor.
2. Blend while drizzling in olive oil until coarse-smooth.
3. Add tofu and blend just enough to get a thick, pipeable mixture.
4. Taste and adjust salt.

3) Prepare baking layer

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a baking dish, spread 1.5–2 cups marinara at the bottom.

4) Fill shells (“pipe inside”)

1. Transfer pesto-tofu to a piping bag (or zip bag with a corner cut).
2. For each shell, pipe a small amount into the cavity.
3. If shells are hard to fill, do a spoon-and-fill approach—still works.

5) Assemble & bake

1. Arrange filled shells in the dish.
2. Pour remaining marinara over the top (you want them coated but not swimming).
3. Sprinkle vegan cheese on top.
4. Bake 20–30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
5. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Value & Calories (estimated)

Because nutrition depends heavily on:

1. the exact marinara brand,
2. the amount of vegan cheese,
3. whether the pesto uses full 1/2 cup olive oil and amount of tofu,
4. and how much pasta is cooked/used,

…the numbers below are estimates per serving for 4 servings, using typical nutrition.

Assumptions for estimate

1. Shell pasta: 1 lb (450 g) dry
2. Marinara: ~3 cups store-bought average
3. Pesto olive oil: about 1/2 cup total
4. Tofu: about 6 oz (170 g)
5. Vegan cheese: ~1 cup shredded

Estimated per serving (1/4 of the dish)

1. Calories: ~650–820 kcal
2. Protein: ~20–30 g
3. Carbs: ~75–105 g
4. Fat: ~25–45 g
5. Fiber: ~10–18 g

Whole-batch estimate

1. Calories: ~2,600–3,280 kcal (total casserole)