Posted in Recipes on 31.01.2019
Green Split Pea and Pesto Stuffed Conchiglie
prep: 20 mins / cook: 1 hour 30 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 1 hour 50 mins / quantity: 4 servings Print recipe?
The stuffed conchiglie are cooked pasta shells filled with split peas and homemade pesto, baked in a tangy tomato sauce. All vegan and all delicious!
Filled to bursting, these stuffed conchiglie are a little like mini lasagne pockets because I find cooked peas to have such a savoury, rich and almost meaty flavour. They’re cooked quite slowly, absorbing all that lovely vegetable stock, making them creamy and rich.
Did you know that peas are generally low in calories but high in fibre and heart healthy nutrients? They’re a mild source of vegetable protein too and this, combined with a relatively low energy density, makes them filling and satisfying.
I’ve stirred in some fresh spinach too, for extra Popeye iron and all round green goodness.
And for even more flavour we’ve got vegan pesto. I absolutely love making my own pesto, turning fresh herbs into a creamy, garlicky, somewhat addictive paste!
Leftover pesto? Try:
These Pesto and Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
Or these Broccoli, Sweet Potato and Pesto Pies
Or even these Crispy Coconut Cauliflower and Prawn Style Tacos
There’s a few processes to this stuffed conchiglie recipe but it’s also very easy to scale up and make a couple (or even a few!) more meals worth. I’ve baked them with this Marinara Sauce recipe – another thing I love to make myself because it’s got so much flavour compared to a jar. But in a pinch a jar of sauce will also do as the stuffed conchiglie is the star of this show! This is one of those truly hearty dishes that I love so much!
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Green Split Pea and Pesto Stuffed Conchiglie
prep: 20 mins / cook: 1 hour 30 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 1 hour 50 mins / quantity: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- drizzle of olive oil
- 1 cup (200g) Hodmedods Green Split Peas
- 3 cups (750ml) vegetable stock
- 3 cups (80g or roughly 3 good handfuls) fresh baby spinach
- salt and pepper
- 4 cups (300g) large conchiglie pasta shells
- 1 x Marinara Sauce recipe or sub a good quality 500g jar of Marinara Sauce
Pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (approximately 2 large handfuls)
- 1/2 lemon – juice only
- 1/3 cup (45g) pine nuts
- 3 medium cloves garlic – peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tblsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup oil – avocado and olive both work great
- Blender or food processor
Instructions
- Peel the onion and garlic cloves. Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic and put both into a medium/large heavy based saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil
- Gently cook these over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until softened, stirring
- Add the split peas and vegetable stock, stir, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally until thick and creamy. Test the peas and cook for a little longer, topping up with veg stock if they're still too firm for you.
- While the peas are cooking bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta shells for 11 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to prevent any further cooking. Drain again and set aside
- For the pesto put everything into a food processor or blender and whizz to a smooth paste
- When the peas are cooked stir in the spinach until it wilts and mixes into the peas. I normally do this a handful at a time or the pot gets very crowded!
- Stir around half the pesto through the peas and taste - add more depending on personal taste. Add salt and pepper as required too
- Preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6
- Pour the marinara sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish or pan
- Use a largeish spoon to scoop the peas into the pasta shells then nestle each one into the tomato sauce. Repeat until all the shells are filled
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve immediately
Notes
- The last time I made this I hadn't discovered a decent vegan parmesan yet! There's a very good one from Violife available in Tesco in the UK which would be lovely grated on top just before serving
- Any leftovers can be chilled and reheated - just make sure it's all piping hot before eating!
Some products I used in today's post...
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Hello there! I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure! From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.
Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how. I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)
I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.
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Good morning, love this recipe. I am trying it in a slow cooker. Here’s hoping
Hello Henrietta (lovely name!) and thank you so much! Fingers crossed for you, I still need to work out how to use my pressure cooker as a slow cooker!
Sam x