Edamame and Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This post was sponsored by the Soyfoods Association of North America. All thoughts and opinions are 100% our own.

These Edamame and Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Shells substitute edamame for meat to make a light, Spring entree.

Did you know that April is National Soyfoods Month? Soy is the only plant protein considered “complete.” In other words, like animal protein, soy protein contains all nine essential amino acids in the ratios needed for health and well-being. All month long you are encouraged to add more plant-based protein to your diet with some simple swaps. I’m trying to do meatless Mondays all month. I’ve been working on taking some of my usual recipes and substituting soy for the meat. this week I made edamame and lemon ricotta stuffed shells.

Edamame, soy beans, are something I keep in the house all of the time. Usually I just steam them in their pod, add a little salt and eat them straight out of the shell as a snack, but it is Spring here, the weather is getting warm, and I wanted something light, and bright for dinner. I paired the edamame with lemon zest, ricotta, goat cheese, and parsley, and stuffed the mixture inside of large pasta shells.

Instead of my usual red sauce I made a cauliflower sauce. It was the first time I had tried it and I couldn’t have been happier with it. It was so easy to make! All I did was steam some cauliflower with a bit of olive oil, and when it was softened I put the cauliflower in my NutriBullet and pureed the cauliflower until it was smooth. To thin it out I added lemon juice and WESTSOY soy milk until I got it to the right consistency. The lemon juice added a bright, fresh flavor that paired really well with the stuffed shells.

The dish was beautiful with the bright green edamame, and the tart goat cheese and lemon gave the whole thing a bright flavor. The edamame and soy milk were a great replacement for the meat and made the whole dish very filling without making it heavy. It was a perfect Spring meal!

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Edamame and Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Course: Dinner

Servings: 16

Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell

Ingredients

• 16 Large pasta shells
• 1 c Edamame
• 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
• 4 oz. Goat cheese
• 2 Tbsp Lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp Parsley finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Salt divided
• 1 head Cauliflower
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 c WESTSOY soy milk
• 1/4 c Lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Boil water and add pasta shells.
3. Once shells are cooked drain and set aside.
4. Steam edamame and shell it.
5. Mix ricotta, goat cheese, lemon zest, parsley, and 1/4 tsp of salt.
6. Add edamame to cheese mixture.
7. Add edamame and cheese mixture to shells.
8. Place shells in a casserole dish and bake in oven for 20 min.
9. While shells bake chop up cauliflower and place in a pot with 2 c water and 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
10. Steam cauliflower until soft.
11. Drain cauliflower and place in a high powered blender.
12. Blend until smooth adding soy milk and lemon juice to thin the mixture.
13. Add 1/4 tsp of salt to cauliflower sauce.
14. Remove shells from oven and serve shells on a plate with cauliflower sauce poured over them.

What is your favorite way to use soy as a substitution in recipes?