Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Spinach Ricotta

Published: Oct 12, 2022 · Modified: Mar 13, 2024 by Richa 38 Comments

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!

a serving of vegan stuffed shells in a white bowl served with two slices of bread

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.

a white casserole dish with vegan stuffed shells sprinkled with chili flakes

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

vegan spinach and ricotta stuffed shells served with two slices of white bread

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

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5 from 18 votes

Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Spinach Ricotta

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: vegan pasta bake, vegan stuffed shells

Servings: 6

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

6 to 7 ounces (170.1 g) large shells (16-18 shells) cooked according to packaging instructions
24 ounces (623.69 g) marinara sauce
2 tablespoons vegan parmesan for topping optional

For the ricotta filling

14 oz (396.89 g) firm tofu pressed for 10 minutes
¼ cup (11 g) nutritional yeast
½ cup (56 g) almond flour or use pumpkin seed meal or 2 oz more tofu for nutfree
2 teaspoons mellow miso
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 clove garlic chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup (56 g) vegan mozzarella
4 to 5 ounces (113.4 g) of frozen spinach
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Make the pasta: 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, miso, 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 mix. Then add in the spinach and pulse a couple of times.
Assemble: Add half of your marinara sauce to a baking dish. Use a baking dish size 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 are filled and fitted into the baking dish, 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. You can also top with Italian herbs and pepper flakes.
Then bake in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC for 25 to 30 minutes. (Cover lightly witb parchment if you like the top to stay moist)
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.

Video

Notes

Make ahead: 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.
make ahead : you can also assemble Everythjng g and refrigerate upto overnight to bake and serve when needed the next day
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
Glutenfree: use Gluten-free shells

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Spinach Ricotta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 335 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 590mg26%

Potassium 743mg21%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 2416IU48%

Vitamin C 20mg24%

Calcium 197mg20%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Please do leave a comment and rating below.. Tag me on Instagram @veganricha

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.

tofu cubes in a food processor container

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.

nutritional yeast, tofu and vegan parmesan cheese in a food processor

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

tofu, nutritional yeast, spinach and vegan parmesan cheese in the bowl of a food processor

filling ingredients for vegan ricottta stuffed shells in the container of a food processor

ingredients for vegan spinach ricotta filling in a food processor

vegan spinach ricotta pasta filling in a food processor container

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

marinara sauce in a white casserole dish

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

stuffed shells being placed in a casserole dish with marinara sauce

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

stuffed shells placed in a casserole dish with marinara sauce

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.

overhead shot of a casserole dish with vegan stuffed shells covered in marinara sauce

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.

Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Spinach Ricotta

Why you’ll love these stuffed shells!

More vegan pasta bakes:

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