Preparation

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. About 1 to 2 minutes before the pasta is done, blanch the kale in a colander over the boiling water, then plunge it into ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop. Set aside the pasta shells and the chopped kale separately.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
3. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds from the center. Brush with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then place the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet.
4. For the confit garlic, cut off the top of a head of garlic (about 0.5 cm) to slightly expose the tops of the cloves, and place it on a sheet of aluminum foil (or in a small oven-safe dish or ramekin). Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil or cover the dish.
5. Bake the wrapped garlic and squash for about 40 to 45 minutes in the oven.
6. Once the squash is tender and fully cooked, use a spoon to scrape out all the flesh and add it to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients for the creamy sauce. Set aside a small amount of the flesh to garnish the shells when serving, if desired. Also set aside ¼ of the confit garlic to add to the tofu ricotta.
7. Prepare the Soykei tofu ricotta by adding the extra-firm tofu, kale, plant-based mozzarella, onion powder, nutritional yeast, a drizzle of olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, and one-quarter of the confit garlic to the food processor until a smooth texture is achieved, though it should still retain a slightly grainy consistency. Stuff the shells with the ricotta and set aside.
8. Spread the creamy sauce on the bottom of an oven-safe dish, followed by the stuffed shells and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
9. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees, covering with aluminum foil to prevent the shells from drying out. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
10. Garnish with fried sage or fresh sage, pieces of butternut squash, and freshly grated plant-based Parmesan, if desired!Notes
    Set aside a little butternut squash flesh to garnish the shells just before serving.
    Garnish with fried sage leaves if desired: Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for about 10 to 20 seconds on each side, until crispy. Carefully remove and place on paper towels. Let cool slightly before garnishing the stuffed shells.

Photos and recipe: Le pouvoir des plantes by Sarah Bourgie

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