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Tofu Cheese-stuffed Shells

Baked pasta shells stuffed with tofu, cheese, and vegetables, topped with tomato sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 271 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Tofu Cheese-stuffed Shells

Oven350°F
Time25 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

  2. Drain the shells and rinse them with cold water. Drain and set aside.

  3. In a small saucepan, cook carrot and green onion in a small amount of water until tender, then drain.

Make the filling and sauce

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash tofu with a fork. Stir in the carrot-onion mixture, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella, egg white, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

  2. In a saucepan, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and fennel seed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Assemble and bake

  1. Stuff each shell with about 1 rounded tablespoon of filling.

  2. Place shells in an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour sauce over shells, top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

  3. Bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes or until hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

923Calories
51 gProtein
38 gFat
94 gCarbs

Counts 14 of 15 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 14 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pasta1 cup cooked (140g)220
Ricotta Cheese1/2 cup (124g) part-skim174
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Green Onion1 medium (110g)44
Fennel1/2 bulb (87g)27
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Seednot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheddar cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together271 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Pasta + tofutop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together37 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  3. Carrot + oniontop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together21,601 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Pasta + carrottop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together435 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Pasta + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,961 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tofu
Provides a creamy, protein-rich body that replaces part of the cheese in the filling.
Ricotta cheese
Adds creaminess and moisture to the filling so it stays soft after baking.
Egg white
Binds the filling so it holds its shape inside the shells.
Tomato paste
Thickens the sauce and adds concentrated tomato flavor and body.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts over the top of the shells, giving a stretchy, browned topping.
Cheddar cheese
Adds savory flavor and fat to the filling, helping it taste rich.

The step that matters

Stuffing and covering the shells. The filling is soft and moist, so it needs to be spooned in without overfilling. Baking covered traps steam, which heats the filling through gently without drying the cheese.

Swap the carrot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pasta, onion, tofu, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg):

  1. Chivefits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Welsh onionfits better
  4. Carrotthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pasta, onion, tofu, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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