Spicy Eggplant & Tempeh Stuffed Pasta Shells

With just a few ingredients (but a bit of preparation), the “Spicy Eggplant & Tempeh-Stuffed Pasta Shells”, page 229, is both elegant and pleasing. As with all the recipes using tempeh, you start out by cooking the block of tempeh for 30 minutes in a pot of simmering water. This is done to mellow out the flavor and aid digestion, and while I do normally start with this step, there have been many times I’ve skipped it, and everything comes out okay. You can simmer the tempeh while baking the eggplant, and cooking the pasta, combing several steps and saving a little time. It is so easy to bake a whole eggplant, and once its done the skin comes right off, leaving you with a soft and creamy filling. (Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so you won’t have to oil it.)

The steamed tempeh is ground in a food processor, along with garlic (I tripled the amount, using 3 cloves), red pepper flakes (I doubled the amount, using ½ teaspoon), and salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, bread crumbs can be added at this point to firm up the filling. This simple, yet meaty and delicious filling is stuffed into cooked pasta shells, topped with marinara (oil-free homemade (see recipe here), or store bought), and baked in the oven until heated through. Top with oil-free vegan Parmesan or Parmasio (see review here).

A big green salad and a loaf of rustic sourdough bread will turn this into a delicious dinner.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Omit the oil when baking the eggplant. Simply line the baking dish with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking.
• Use oil-free marinara, store-bought or homemade.
• Use oil-free Parmesan, or home made Parmasio.