This vegan stuffed shells recipe transforms the normal consolation meals dish stuffed with cheese right into a yummy meal that anybody can take pleasure in! You’ll make a fast tofu ricotta for these jumbo shells after which prime together with your favourite pasta sauce and a vegan mozzarella.
You’ll love this vegan-ized model of the traditional consolation meals recipe, stuffed shells! We love serving this when the climate is chilly throughout the fall and winter months. It’s makes for a scrumptious and comparatively straightforward meal when paired with a easy steamed vegetable on the facet or a salad like this lemony kale caesar.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- There’s no chopping concerned on this recipe! Love after I don’t have to clean my reducing board.
- In contrast to plenty of stuffed shells recipes, the tofu ricotta for these shells wants no cashews.
- Nice for meal prep since one recipe can feed a crowd and leftovers reheat effectively. I really like packing these in my lunch for work.
- Freezer pleasant so excellent if you wish to save leftovers for future use.
- This recipe is vegan, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and might simply be made gluten free too.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

- Jumbo pasta shells: Essentially the most tedious a part of making shells is the stuffing. Save your self some headache by utilizing jumbo sized shells. I exploit about 20 shells for this recipe since that matches effectively in my 8″x11″ baking dish. Make certain to prepare dinner a number of further shells in case some break!
- Pasta sauce: Use your favourite jarred or canned pasta sauce to make this recipe even easier. You may additionally use a selfmade sauce for those who choose – my small batch tomato sauce can be scrumptious with these!
- Tofu: Agency or further agency tofu is greatest for the selfmade spinach ricotta for these shells. No have to press it for this recipe, the additional moisture is required for the ricotta. For a shortcut, you possibly can buy a vegan ricotta. There are a number of completely different ones one the market now, however I haven’t had the prospect to attempt any out.
- Dietary Yeast: Provides some “cheesiness” to the vegan ricotta stuffing.
- Pink Wine Vinegar: Provides some acidity to the ricotta to steadiness out the flavour. You can too use recent squeezed lemon juice.
- Spinach: For simplicity, I used thawed frozen spinach for the filling. You may additionally use recent spinach (one 5 oz bag for this recipe) – simply add to a skillet with a bit of olive oil and sauté till wilted. You wish to keep away from utilizing uncooked spinach within the filling as a result of it might get too watery when baking.
- Vegan Cheese: Crank up the consolation issue with some vegan mozzarella sprinkled on prime of the shells earlier than baking. I actually just like the vegan mozzarella shreds from VioLife as they soften properly. You can too add some vegan parmesan too – right here’s my favourite selfmade vegan parmesan recipe!
See recipe card beneath for a full listing of elements and measurements.
Step by Step
Step One: Deliver a big pot of generously salted water to a boil on the stovetop. Add shells and prepare dinner to al dente in response to bundle instructions. (Mine took about 8 minutes for jumbo shells).

Step Two: In the meantime, make your tofu ricotta by including the tofu, dietary yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crimson wine vinegar to a meals processor. Puree till easy. Stir in thawed frozen spinach and put aside.

Step Three: Add frozen spinach to the microwave to thaw. Add ricotta to the thawed spinach and stir.

Step 4: Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the underside of your baking dish. Fill together with your cooked shells. (I used about 20 jumbo shells.)

Step 5: Use a spoon or a piping bag to fill every shell with the tofu ricotta.

Step Six: Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the shells and sprinkle with vegan shredded mozzarella cheese. Cowl with foil and bake.

Step Seven: Garnish with chopped parsley or basil to serve.
Stuffed Shells Ideas:
- Stuff the shells extra effectively: Filling your shells with the ricotta can get a bit messy so do this trick! Add your tofu ricotta to a piping bag or gallon dimension Ziplock bag with one of many corners lower off. You’ll be able to then simply pipe the filling into the shells.
- Prepare dinner a number of further shells: Irrespective of how mild you attempt to be, a number of of your shells will probably break when cooking. I typically throw in an additional 5 shells or so when cooking simply in case.
- Cowl your shells: You’ll wish to cowl your stuffed shells with aluminum foil for the primary a part of the baking time in order that they don’t get too crispy/crunchy. You can too keep away from crisp edges by evenly spooning the sauce excessive of the shells earlier than baking.
What to serve with Vegan Stuffed Shells
Serve these vegan shells with a salad, steamed veggies, or roasted veggies. Whereas the shells are baking, it’s straightforward sufficient to steam a little bit of broccoli or inexperienced beans on the stovetop. You may even roast a pan of veggies within the oven similtaneously the shells. We love this oven roasted cabbage recipe. There are such a lot of nice salad choices that may be scrumptious! Listed below are a number of of my favorites for pairing with these stuffed shells: kale apple walnut salad, lemon kale caesar salad, white bean pesto salad with arugula, strawberry spinach salad.
Make Forward and Storage
- Make Forward: Put together shells as directed within the recipe till the baking step. Wrap tightly and retailer within the fridge for 1-2 days earlier than baking. You can too freeze for as much as 3 months till you’re able to bake. To bake from frozen, add an additional 20-Half-hour to the baking time.
- Fridge: Enable leftover cooked shells to chill to room temperature earlier than storing within the fridge coated or in an hermetic container. Leftovers will preserve for as much as 3 days. To reheat, add single portion to the microwave and prepare dinner till sizzling. You can too reheat the entire dish within the oven at 350 levels for 10-Quarter-hour or till warmed via.
- Freezer: Enable cooked shells to chill to room temperature after which retailer within the baking dish after wrapping it tightly or switch particular person parts in containers to freeze. Shells could be frozen for as much as 3 months.

Recipe FAQs
Make this recipe gluten free with only one swap – use gluten free pasta as a substitute of conventional pasta shells.
As you’ll see within the recipe card beneath, we advocate cooking the shells to al dente earlier than baking. There’s not sufficient liquid for the shells to prepare dinner whereas within the oven in order that they should be boiled first. Make certain to prepare dinner till al dente (about 1-2 minutes lower than the complete prepare dinner time on the bundle).
I simply pop the frozen spinach for the shell filling within the microwave for a minute or two to thaw. Squeeze or drain off any extra moisture if wanted earlier than including the spinach to your ricotta filling. You can too add the frozen spinach to a superb mesh strainer and run beneath sizzling water till thawed.
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Vegan Stuffed Shells
This vegan stuffed shells recipe transforms the normal consolation meals dish stuffed with cheese right into a yummy meal that anybody can take pleasure in! You may make a fast tofu ricotta for these jumbo shells after which prime together with your favourite pasta sauce and a vegan mozzarella.
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Directions
Prepare dinner the Shells
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Deliver water to boil in a big pot. Add the pasta and prepare dinner in response to bundle instructions. When completed, drain via a colander, rinse beneath chilly water, and set cooked pasta apart.
Make the Ricotta
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Add the tofu, dietary yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a meals processor and mix till easy. Switch to a bowl and stir within the thawed spinach and crimson wine vinegar.
Meeting
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In a 8″x11″ baking dish, pour in 1/2 cup of the sauce and unfold evenly within the pan. Prepare shells on prime of the sauce. Stuff every shell with ~1 heaping tablespoon of cheese filling. Repeat till you have stuffed all of the shells and run out of cheese filling.
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Sprinkle with the shredded vegan mozzarella if utilizing.
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Cowl the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take away the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Serve!
Notes
- To thaw frozen spinach: add to the microwave for a minute or two to thaw. Squeeze or drain off any extra moisture if wanted earlier than including the spinach to your ricotta filling. You can too add the frozen spinach to a superb mesh strainer and run beneath sizzling water till thawed.
- Selfmade sauce: Take a look at my small batch tomato sauce.
- Pink Wine Vinegar Various: One tablespoon recent squeezed lemon juice can be utilized within the ricotta as a substitute of crimson wine vinegar.
- Leftovers: Leftovers could be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Shells could be frozen for as much as 3 months.
Vitamin
Serving: 3Shells | Energy: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 16g | Fats: 10g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 1g | Sodium: 958mg | Potassium: 646mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6603IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 4mg