These stuffed pasta shells feature a savory, herb-filled tofu filling mixed with sautéed mushrooms and fresh greens. It is a hearty plant-based twist on a traditional Italian-American baked pasta dish often served at family gatherings or weekend dinners.
Vegan Vegetarian Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free
Nutrient score: Excellent
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 12 pieces Jumbo pasta shells (180 g)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (27 g)
- 2 cups Cremini mushroom (189 g)
- 3 cups Spinach (177 g)
- 400 g Firm Tofu (400 g)
- 0.25 cup Nutritional yeast (15 g)
- 1 tsp Garlic powder (2.5 g)
- 1 tsp Dried oregano (1.2 g)
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice (15 g)
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups Marinara sauce (497 g)
- Ingredients in total: 1.5 kg
- Weight lost in cooking: 304 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 1.2 kg · 4 servings of about 300 g
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a medium baking dish.
- Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta shells for two minutes less than the package instructions, then drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the chopped mushrooms until they are soft and golden brown.
- Add the spinach to the skillet and cook for two minutes until it is fully wilted, then remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.
- In a mixing bowl, crumble the firm tofu with a fork until it reaches a ricotta-like consistency.
- Stir the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, dried oregano, lemon juice, salt, and the sautéed vegetable mixture into the crumbled tofu until well combined.
- Spread one cup of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- Stuff each cooked pasta shell generously with the tofu and vegetable mixture and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining cup of marinara sauce over the tops of the shells.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the edges of the shells are slightly golden.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 459 kcal | 153 kcal |
| Protein | 29.1 g | 9.69 g |
| Water | 198 mL | 66 mL |
| Sodium | 550 mg | 183 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 51 g | 17 g |
| Total Fat | 18.1 g | 6.02 g |
| Sugar | 8.09 g | 2.7 g |
62 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 1.86 g | 0.62 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 5.83 mg | 1.94 mg |
| Calcium | 434 mg | 145 mg |
| Magnesium | 142 mg | 47.4 mg |
| Potassium | 1,020 mg | 340 mg |
| Iodine | 1.97 mcg | 0.66 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 364 mg | 121 mg |
| Zinc | 7.61 mg | 2.54 mg |
| Chloride | 480 mg | 160 mg |
| Selenium | 38.4 mcg | 12.8 mcg |
| Copper | 0.7 mg | 0.23 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.13 mg | 0.042 mg |
| Manganese | 1.89 mg | 0.63 mg |
| Molybdenum | 10.1 mcg | 3.38 mcg |
| Chromium | 3.64 mcg | 1.21 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.7 g | 0.9 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6.38 g | 2.13 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.52 g | 0.17 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3.66 g | 1.22 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 3.1 g | 1.03 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 6.58 g | 2.19 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 1.74 g | 0.58 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 4.31 g | 1.44 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 1.48 mcg | 0.49 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0.24 mcg | 0.079 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 19.8 mg | 6.59 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 251 mcg | 83.7 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 10.9 mg | 3.62 mg |
| Vitamin A | 286 mcg RAE | 95.4 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.89 mg | 0.63 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.32 mg | 0.44 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 1.11 mg | 0.37 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 1.49 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Vitamin E | 3.27 mg | 1.09 mg |
| Vitamin K | 223 mcg | 74.5 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 9.35 mcg | 3.12 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 3,096 mcg | 1,032 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 69 mg | 23 mg |
| Leucine | 1,953 mg | 651 mg |
| Lysine | 1,450 mg | 483 mg |
| Polyphenols | 550 mg | 183 mg |
| Methionine | 406 mg | 135 mg |
| Oxalates | 454 mg | 151 mg |
| Threonine | 996 mg | 332 mg |
| Tryptophan | 304 mg | 101 mg |
| Valine | 1,335 mg | 445 mg |
| Flavonoids | 126 mg | 42.1 mg |
| Histidine | 860 mg | 287 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 5.94 mg | 1.98 mg |
| Lycopene | 22.4 mg | 7.45 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 1,358 mg | 453 mg |
| Purines | 158 mg | 52.6 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 1,225 mg | 408 mg |
Additives
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Nitrite / Nitrate | 10.6 mg | 3.55 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish. Estimates, not medical advice.
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