Vegan Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Alfredo is the best comfort food casserole to feed a big crowd! Filled with spinach and creamy tofu “ricotta,” this stuffed shells recipe is an all-time family favorite. Use Pumpkin or other winter squash.
Coming at you with a classic Italian comfort food classic with a seasonal twist! Vegan Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash!
These vegan butternut squash stuffed shells are bursting with creamy dairy-free tofu ricotta and spinach and baked in a velvety smooth and cheesy butternut squash alfredo sauce. Perfect for holiday gatherings, family dinners, date night…really any occasion that begs for some serious vegan comfort food!
Let’s talk about the tofu ricotta. I’m constantly blown away by the wonders of tofu. If you are skeptical whether this is not gonna end up being all weird and tasteless – never fear! The tofu combined with nutritional yeast, almond flour, Italian seasonings, lemon and tofu makes for the perfect ricotta substitute. A bit tangy, a bit cheesy but very mild in taste. Some spinach in it makes the filling incredibly delicious. And less or more spinach to preference.
The butternut alfredo is adapted from my creamy butternut carbonara. That sauce is so delicious and works amazingly here. Use pumpkin or other winter squash if you like! Stuffed Shells usually end up taking long prep times because you pre-cook the pasta and the sauce. In this recipe I am using uncooked pasta! that gets cooked with the sauce while baking just like my baked rigatoni recipe. No dealing with large pots of hot water!
By the way, this stuffed shells recipe would also work for making cannelloni – simply stuff the cannelloni pasta with the ricotta filling as you would for the shells and bake in the alfredo sauce. Baking time might vary slightly.
MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:
- Vegan Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo
- Cajun Cauliflower Pasta
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chickpea Pasta
- Cauliflower Parmesan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta
You can also make these the traditional way by cooking the pasta first. See recipe notes for instructions.
Vegan Stuffed Shells with Butternut Alfredo
Ingredients
For the butternut squash alfredo:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup (40 g) finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage
- 1/4 tsp each of red pepper flakes and black pepper
- 1/4 salt
- 1/3 cup (43 g) of cashews
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cups (280 g) of cubed butternut squash
- 1 1/4 cup (295.74 ml) stock
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp miso optional
For the tofu ricotta:
- 8-9 ounces (226.8 g) of firm tofu pressed for 10 minutes.
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- zest of a quarter of a lemon
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbs fresh basil
- 3 oz (85.05 g) of fresh or frozen thawed, and squeezed-out spinach.
Other
- 16 jumbo shells
- 1 cup veggie stock
- fresh sage, vegan Parmesan, pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
Instructions for the butternut squash alfredo:
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, sage, and salt and cook until golden.
- Then add in the pepper, cashews, butternut squash and mix well and cook for 1 minute. Then add in the nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso, and mix well. Cover and cook until the butternut squash is tender, about 9-10 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool completely. Then blend until smooth and set aside.
For the tofu ricotta:
- In a food processor, add the tofu and the rest of the ingredients, except spinach, and process until the mixture is well blended, then add the spinach and pulse a few times, so that the spinach is incorporated evenly, and set aside.
- Make the casserole: Take about 15-20 shells, these are uncooked shells. Then press the tofu ricotta into the shells. (See recipe notes below to make this with cooked shells)
- Grease a 9 by 11 inch baking dish. Transfer half of the butternut squash into the baking dish, and assemble and place the shells in the sauce. Pack them well.
- Gently add 1 cup of veggie broth around so that the shells are more than 3/4 submerged in the water sauce mixture. Add a bit more broth if needed. Gently brush the edges of the shells with the sauce mixture.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees F ( 205 C) for 35-40 minutes. You can check at 35 minutes to see if the shells are done. The top of the shells might be slightly crispy, but the rest of the shells that touched liquid should be done.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes. Open the lid, and sprinkle some olive oil, or vegan parmesan, and pepper flakes on top. Add some sage or fresh basil. To serve, serve the shells with the reserved butternut squash sauce. If the butternut squash sauce has thickened too much, you can add in some broth to thin it out to drizzle it all over the shells and serve. The shells will keep in the fridge for 3 days
Notes
- The casserole will keep in the fridge for 3 days
- Save time by making the sauce and tofu ricotta a day in advance. The sauce will thicken up in the fridge, so you may need to thin it with a bit of non-dairy milk or broth before assembling the dish.
- Precook the shells: stuffed shells are usually made with precooked shells pasta. You can cook them according to instructions, brush with olive oil and then fill with the tofu ricotta. Place in the sauce. Then drizzle half of the remaining sauce over the shells and bake for 15-20 mins. Garnish and serve with reserved sauce as needed.
- Soy free: use store bought vegan ricotta or homemade cashew or almond ricotta. Omit the miso
- Nut-free : use pumpkin seeds or silken tofu instead of cashews in the alfredo. Omit almond flour from tofu ricotta
- You can use kabocha squash or even pumpkin instead of butternut squash.
- Make sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the spinach and press the tofu. We want to get rid of all unnecessary water.
Nutrition
Ingredients used for making vegan Stuffed Shells with butternut squash alfredo:
For the butternut squash alfredo:
- finely chopped onion and garlic fried in olive oil with some garlic, sage and pepper are the base for the butternut squash alfredo
- cashews nuts add the creaminess to the sauce. We don’t need to soak them as they are cooking in the sauce.
- I like to add some nutritional yeast as well as miso paste for that cheesy flavor and to up the umami
- I used fresh butternut squash for the alfredo sauce but you can use frozen
- We add a bit of stock to the sauce get that perfectly smooth texture
- lemon juice
For the tofu ricotta
- firm tofu, pressed for 10 minutes to remove the water.
- almond flour thickens the vegan cheese mix a bit
- to get that cheesy taste we add some nutritional yeast
- like with traditional spinach & ricotta stuffed shells we add some fresh of frozen spinach to the mix. Make sure to squeeze out all the water from the spinach
- seasonings are lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, garlic, and basil
Tips & Substitutions:
- Save time by making the sauce and tofu ricotta a day in advance. The sauce will thicken up in the fridge, so you may need to thin it with a bit of non-dairy milk or broth before assembling the dish.
- Leftover stuffed shells are freezer-friendly. Just seal them up and freeze. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, thaw and microwave or bake until they’re hot.
- Not into tofu? Leave it out and use homemade cashew or almond ricotta instead.
- Instead of miso paste, just add more nutritional yeast.
- You can use kabocha squash or even pumpkin instead of butternut squash.
- Make sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the spinach and press the tofu. We want to get rid of all unnecessary water.
How to make Vegan Butternut Squash stuffed shells
Instructions for the butternut squash alfredo:
Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, sage, pepper flakes, salt and cook until golden.
Then add in the pepper, cashews, butternut squash and mix well and cook for 1 minute. Then add in the nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso, and mix well. Cover and cook until the butternut squash is tender, about 9-10 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool completely. Then blend until smooth and set aside.
For the tofu ricotta:
In a food processor, add the tofu and the rest of the ingredients, except spinach, and process until the mixture is well blended, then add the spinach and pulse a few times, so that the spinach is incorporated evenly, and set aside.
Take about 15-20 shells, these are uncooked shells. press the tofu ricotta into the shells.
Transfer half of the butternut squash sauce into a 9×11 baking dish, or larger, and assemble and place the shells in the sauce.
Gently add one cup of veggie broth around so that the shells are more than 3/4 submerged in the water sauce mixture.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. You can check at 35 minutes to see if the shells are done.
The top of the shells might be slightly crispy if they were not immersed in the sauce but the rest of the shell should be done.
Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes. Open the lid, and sprinkle some olive oil, or vegan parmesan, and pepper flakes on top.
Add some sage or fresh basil.
To serve, serve the shells with some of the butternut squash sauce. If the butternut squash sauce has thickened too much, you can add in some broth to thin it out to drizzle it all over the shells and serve. The dish will keep in the fridge for 3 days
HOW TO STORE vegan stuffed shells:
This vegan pasta bake can be frozen. Once cooked, let it cool completely, then cover tightly with foil and freeze. When ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins or until warm. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days, making it a great meal prep for lunches.
Christine Ward
You won’t need to know how to store these because there won’t be any left! I wanted an entree for my vegan son for Christmas. I substituted Kite Hill Almond Ricotta for the tofu since I am allergic to soy. I would have taken a picture if they hadn’t already been devoured. These will be on rotation for meals to come!
Vegan Richa Support
🎄 🎄 🎄 love to hear that!!
Kesang Menezes
I want to make this in India where the shells are not available. How can I adapt this recipe?
Richa
Use any pasta that you have. Cook without the tofu ricotta filling following same instructions. Once baked, spoon the tofu ricotta all over and broil for a minute or 2
Shannon Kristine Plechas
Great recipe! I have made this twice and here are my tips:
Partially cook the pasta shells
Make an almond ricotta instead (did not like the tofu version)
Add some kind of roasted veggie (we added roasted broccoli)
Add lots of nutritional yeast!
Vegan Richa Support
good to know. thx!
Jen
Do you think this would work with lasagna noodles? Or any other pasta?
Richa
Yes. convert it to a lasagna. Precook the noodles and layer alternately with sauce and tofu ricotta. Too with cheese or breadcrumbs and bake for 30 mins or so
Leena Menon
The recipe looks delicious. Could i use dried basil in place of fresh? If yes, what would be the proportion of dried basil?
Richa
Use 2 tsp dried basil
Amy
Delicious. I had chard, so I quickly sauteed it before adding it to the tofu for the shells. I also cooked the shells ahead. I probably should have added a little stock to the sauce before I baked, it was a little thick, but everything still turned out wonderfully. Thank you Richa!
Vegan Richa Support
glad taht you enjoyed it
Karen McCann
This is our new favourite recipe! The flavours are brilliant and it’s perfect for cold nights. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
Hooray!!
Danielle
The sauce and ricotta stuffing was so creamy and delicious. But my pasta shells(not precooked) did not cook properly in the oven, it was frustrating given the amount of time spent prepping everything.
So was a word of warning to anyone else making this with uncooked pasta shells: submerge it in enough water or else it won’t cook. I’ll probably pre-cook the shells next time.
Vegan Richa Support
sorry that it didn’t turn out for you….You used jumbo shells, right and covered with foil and bake at 400 degrees F ( 205 C) for 35-40 minutes.?
Richa
The pan size may affect the amount of liquid you need. Def cover most of the exposed shell. 1-2 mm exposure is ok as the boiling sauce will cook that but other that much , you need it submerged. I have the cooked shell option in the notes which comes out amazing as well
mary
Honestly, this looks so amazing. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for another lovely recipe!
Emily
Made this for a test run for our holiday small family pod get together and oh my it’s so good! Creamy and decadent buts sits well in the tummy without making you feel super overfill!
Richa
Awesome
Ramona
I’ve only made stuffed shells but stuffing them after they have been cooked. You stuff yours before cooking, is that easier? Thanks! Can’t wait to make!
Richa
Easier for me with fewer steps and pots 🙂
The texture is slightly different though when precooked vs them cooking in the baking dish. So try it this way or if you prefer precook and bake without the added broth for 15 mins
ramona
Thank you!!