Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Spinach Ricotta

Vegan Stuffed Shells filled with a homemade herbed high protein spinach tofu ricotta stuffing make for a crowd-pleasing comfort food dinner that is also totally kid-approved. Soy-free and nut-free options included!

Looking for vegan crowd-pleasing comfort food that is also totally kid-approved? Try these vegan stuffed shells! Pasta shells stuffed with a divine vegan ricotta filling, Savory and cheesy. Trust me, you’ve got to make it!

These stuffed shells are perfect for the holidays and festive meals.

For the vegan ricotta I use a tried and tested blend of tofu, vegan mozzarella, almond flour, nutritional yeast and miso. I could eat it by the spoonful, it’s that good.

The filling comes together in a food processor in no time at all! Then all that’s left to do is to stuff the shells with that cheesy goodness and place them in a casserole dish along with some marinara sauce. You can use homemade or store-bought. Try my delicious homemade marinara from my instant pot book!  

Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, bake and you’re done! Don’t forget a slice of toasted or garlic bread to get every last bit of that delicious pasta sauce,

Why you’ll love these stuffed shells!

• because comfort food pasta
• the tofu spinach filling is easy and super delicious and also protein filled
• You can make this ahead
• Options for Nutfree and Soyfree

More vegan pasta bakes:

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake Recipe

Cauliflower Parmesan Pasta Bake

Vegan Butter Chicken Lasagna Bake

Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Alfredo Tofu Ricotta

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onion

Ingredients:

• I used large shells for this recipes. After cooking toss them with some olive oil so they don’t stick together
• tofu in is our vegan swap for ricotta – vegan mozarella, nutritional yeast and miso paste lend it a cheesy flavor
• almond flour helps thicken the cheese filling
• seasoning: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, fresh garlic and garlic powder
• lemon juice makes the cheese filling taste zingy and bright
• marinara sauce – storebought or homemade
• I like to sprinkle my stuffed shells with vegan parmesan
• you can use fresh or frozen spinach for the filling. I prefer frozen as fresh can sometimes add a butter flavor if not blanched first.

Tip:

• You can make the ricotta filling ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days and only assemble the shells when ready to bake and serve.
• To make it soy free use 1 cup soaked cashews Instead of tofu
• Nutfree: Instead of almond flour, you can use pumpkin seed meal or 2 oz more tofu for nutfree
• Use frozen spinach for best results . You can user other greens of choice or omit if you don’t like spinach
• Don’t overcook the pasta shells – they will continue to cook a little in the oven. Rinse the cooked shells in cold water as soon as they are done to stop the cooking process and toss with olive oil.

How to make Vegan Stuffed Shells

Cook your shells according to packaging instructions, then drain and rinse with cold water. Add a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and toss well, so that the oil coats the shells and they don’t dry out.

Thaw the spinach if you haven’t already or microwave it for a minute. Remove some of the excess moisture and set aside.

Make the filling; add the tofu, nutritional yeast, almond flour, salt, pepper, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, vegan mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil to a food processor, and process until the tofu completely breaks down and the mixture is coarse and homogenously mixed.

Then add in the spinach and pulse a couple of times.

Add half of your marinara sauce to a baking dish. Use a baking dish size so that your shells fit snugly in.

Fill each of the shells with the filling and place them in the marinara sauce snugly, one beside the other.

Once all the shells and the filling are finished, drizzle the rest of the marinara sauce over the shells.

Also, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water all over and especially on the edges. Top with vegan Parmesan.
Then bake in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let it sit for a few minutes then scoop out the shells with some sauce and serve as is or with some garlic bread or a side salad.

Storage

Store refrigerated in a covered container for upto 3 days. Reheat with a bit more sauce or a sprinkle of water in the oven or microwave.