These really are the BEST Vegan Stuffed Shells! They’re filled with the most amazing vegan spinach ricotta, covered with marinara sauce, and baked to perfection. It’s cheesy comfort food for the whole family!
If you need more kid-friendly meals that everyone will love, check out my Vegan Lasagna, this Vegan Mac and Cheese, and my favorite Baked Ziti.
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“These stuffed shells are soOoOOoOooOoOoOOooo good. My husband has never had stuffed shells and was insisting he wouldn’t like them–wrong! The texture and flavor of the filling are just perfect. Even our picky toddler was a fan!” – Meghan
Finding a dinner that makes kids, teens, and picky adults happy usually feels like a chore. But these Vegan Stuffed Shells are my secret weapon.
I’ve served these stuffed shells countless times, and no one ever guesses that they’re completely vegan. The secret? A tofu and cashew spinach ricotta filling that rivals any dairy-filled cheese.
Between the “cheese”-stuffed jumbo shells and the bubbling marinara, this is the meal that usually leaves us with zero leftovers. It’s just good, old-fashioned comfort food everyone loves!
Why you’ll love these vegan stuffed jumbo shells
- Kid-approved – When I want to serve a meal both the kids and adults will love, I make vegan stuffed pasta shells. Even picky teenagers love them.
- Pasta perfection! The jumbo shells are stuffed with cashew and tofu ricotta, covered in marinara sauce, and baked until hot and gooey. It’s the perfect pasta dinner!
- Surprisingly easy – The hardest part about this recipe is stuffing the pasta shells, but honestly, a piping bag makes that step so quick and easy.
How to make vegan stuffed shells
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Start by boiling the pasta shells until they’re al dente. Drain and rinse them with cold water. You likely won’t use all of the shells in the package, so it’s okay if some break!
Next, make the vegan spinach ricotta by processing the cashews in a food processor until crumbly. Pulse in the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach) until smooth and creamy.
Add the spinach to the food processor and pulse to combine.
To start assembling, spread some of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach ricotta and place them open side up in the dish. Repeat until you run out of ricotta.
Recipe Tip
I love filling a piping bag fitted with a large tip with the ricotta cheese, then piping the filling into the shells. It’s the easiest way to do it!
Spoon the remaining marinara over the shells. For added richness, sprinkle a few cups of non-dairy mozzarella shreds on top as well.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve while they’re hot and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
There’s truly nothing better than my Kale Caesar Salad and fresh-baked Vegan Garlic Bread on the side of cheesy stuffed shells. It’s a simple and classic Italian-inspired meal the whole family will adore.
Yes, you can fully assemble the stuffed shells and refrigerate them in the covered casserole dish for up to 10 hours before baking. I also recommend adding a few extra minutes to the bake time since they’ll be cold.
Sure! I’ve tried this with both fresh and frozen spinach, and they both work well. Just thaw it ahead of time and squeeze out as much water as possible before blending it into the cheese.
You don’t have to. My almond-based Vegan Ricotta Cheese works just as well here. Or try Tofu Ricotta Cheese (recipe coming soon!).
For a nut-free version, use an equal amount of sunflower seeds in place of the cashews or swap the cashews for two blocks of tofu instead of one. You may not need to add as much water, so start slowly.
The jumbo shells will be mushy if they’re cooked beyond al dente (soft with a slightly firm bite) in the boiling water or if you don’t rinse them under cool water afterward. They continue to cook in the oven, so do your best to avoid overcooking them at the start!
Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Spinach
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shells
- 26 ounces marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
Spinach Ricotta:
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 14 ounces firm tofu drained from package
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed or 2-3 cups fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Boil the Shells: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the jumbo shells. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until done. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Some will likely break, but you will only need about 3/4 of the package so that is okay.
- Make the Spinach Ricotta: Add the cashews to a food processor, and process until fine and crumbly. Now add the rest of the ricotta ingredients EXCEPT the spinach. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Now add the spinach, squeezing out excess water before adding. Pulse to combine.
- In a large casserole dish, evenly spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom.
- Stuff the Shells: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the spinach ricotta into each shell and place open side up into the baking dish. Repeat until all the filling is used up. I love using a piping bag and large tip for this, it makes filling a breeze!
- Spoon remaining marinara sauce on top of the stuffed shells, and place in the oven. Cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Leftover stuffed shells will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Simply reheat in the microwave or oven until warm. They can also be frozen.
- Tofu alternative – If you cannot have tofu, you could stuff the shells with my almond based vegan ricotta cheese instead.
- Nut free option – For nut free, use two blocks of tofu instead of one and omit the cashews. You may not need to add as much water, so start slowly. Or substitute sunflower seeds for the cashews.
- If desired, cover the shells with a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds before baking, such as Daiya or Violife’s mozzarella shreds.
Nutrition
This is the best ricotta of all time! I am not a vegan (but I am trying!) and this is so much better than actual ricotta. I always thought that was such a boring cheese and now I have a FANTASTIC substitute. Shells are still in the oven but I am mostly full from eating the filling. Thanks so much!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you love the ricotta.
My mouth loves your site! My husband recently adopted a vegan lifestyle, and the first time I made these we were overwhelmed by the deliciousness. I just made them again to take to the family Christmas meal tomorrow. Thank you so much for what you do!
You’re so welcome! Glad you love the dish.
Thanks for sharing your great recipes. I noticed the ricotta filling for the shells, the recipe calls for two cups of unsoaked raw cashews. My Vitamix blender had a hard time grinding up the cashews, even with the tofu added. Should I soak the cashews first or add liquid? I also noticed for your lasagna ricotta recipe you used just one cup of cashews. My picky non-vegan husband enjoyed the stuffed shells.
Thank you Sue! I have never used my Vitamix for this because it would have a hard time, I use a food processor instead. It’s a very thick “ricotta”, and if you add liquid it will not be the same. So I suggest a food processor if possible! I do the same for the lasagna. I’m so glad even your husband enjoy the shells!
Can you use fresh spinach?
Yes you can use fresh.
Hi! Can I use fresh spinach? If so, how would I squeeze excess water out of it? Thank you!
Yes, you can use fresh spinach, you just won’t need to squeeze any water out. I have used fresh before and it works great.
These look delicious. I think you’re inspiring me to start wanting to cook again(kind of did a lot less
since turning vegan and couldn’t find the ingredients for recipes). However, your recipes have readily available ingredients. Thank you for that.
You’re welcome! That’s my goal!
Just wondering if you need to soak the cashews in water for a day or so before blending or if you need a coarser texture for this? Thanks!
No, you don’t need to soak the cashews for this recipe. The texture is a tiny bit coarser, not completely smooth.
My family and I are new to the vegan lifestyle and absolutely LOVE this recipe! Tasty, satisfying and filling, this is a wonderful addition to our dinner options! Thank you!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad this recipe has been helpful and delicious. 🙂
This recipe turned out so delicious. My family recently went plant based and stuffed shells was a go to comfort food for us. We were so happy to find your vegan version that is just as satisfiing and doesn’t compromise flavor. I love the tofu/cashew mix for ricotta. I had tried other versions of vegan ricotta recipes and this is by far my favorite. I made it for friends and their little girl said to me, “I love the cheese in this!”. She had no idea there wasn’t “real” cheese in it. Kid and adult approved!
Aw that’s great! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed the shells!
I’ve made many stuffed shells and this was definitely our favorite. It was so incredibly delicious. I added some Gardein crumbles to the sauce. The filling is awesome! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad it was a delicious option for you!
Hi We make similar dishes here in Malta with macaroni, lasagna, ravioli they are all similar. When everything is assembled before baking we sprinkle parmesan cheese (vegan) on top and pepper.
Forgot to add…lol we don’t cook them beforehand but when in the dish we add water to about half their height. Seal with parchment paper (we do not use alum foil) by tying the dish with a string. When nearly done remove paper and cook a bit more to brown.
Do you think I could assemble and cook the next day versus cook immediately?
Absolutely! So cook the shells, stuff them and then store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. They made need a few additional minutes in the oven to get warm since they will have been cold in the fridge. Thanks!
Hi
What can I substitute the cashews with due to nut allergy?
In the comments, someone said they subbed sunflower seeds and it worked well. I haven’t tried it, but I think you could probably use another block of tofu instead of cashews. The texture will be different, and I’m not sure it will be quite as good, but it might work for an all tofu ricotta. Thanks!
I would like to make this ahead of time for Thanksgiving for my vegan niece. Can I freeze it? Bake from frozen or defrost overnight? Thank you.
Hello! I haven’t never tried freezing the whole dish, so I’m not positive it would work but it might. Pasta can get soggy once it’s been frozen. I would probably recommend that you cook the shells, stuff them, then freeze them without the marinara sauce, in some kind of freezer safe casserole dish you can also bake them in. Then, thaw overnight, pour sauce on top and bake them until hot. Thanks!
Do you have to soak the cashews first? Thanks for your time! Tracy
No, there is no need to soak the cashews.
Thank you so much! Just love all of your recipes!
Thank you so much!!!
i have it all assembled and ready to bake in a little while. i can tell these are gonna be awes. filling is super! thx!!
Delicious! We added sautéed mushrooms, onions and sun dried tomatoes to the mixture and used a spicy tomato sauce. Very rich but super healthy. This recipe will be added to our dinner rotation. Thank you!
What temp should these be cooked at?
350 degrees F, it says to preheat the oven in step 1. Thanks, enjoy!
Absolutely fabulous! Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed every bite! (and so did my family)
I’m so glad! Thank you!
Soooo good! Even my picky 4 and 2 year olds loved it! My son is allergic to cashews, so we substituted sunflower seeds- they worked really well!
Yay! Thanks for sharing. So glad even the picky kids liked them, and great to know it turned out with sunflower seeds.
This dish was amazing!! I made this last night for dinner and we were blown away. It tastes just like stuffed shells made with ricotta! Sometimes vegan meals leave me satisfied initially and then starving an hour later. This dish was easy to make, overflowing with tasty flavors and kept us full the rest of the evening! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Hi. This sounds and looks amazing. Is there a way of making this dish nut free?
Thanks
Lx
Thank you Lynsey! I haven’t tried it myself, but you could probably replace the cashews with another block of tofu, making it a tofu only ricotta. You may not need to add any water if you do this. Hope that helps!
This was easy and delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the shells.
Just started my vegan lifestyle, and am enjoying all the recipes I’ve tried so far! Quick question, I’ve always heard you aren’t supposed to reheat dishes that contain spinach, do you know anything about this?
I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! I have never heard of that. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t be able to, sorry! I do it all the time, as I’m a big fan of leftovers. Thank you!
I am so busy- I just moved into a new apartment and am balancing my whole life, but i made time to stop by here and leave this review because this recipe is that incredible and credit needs to go where credit is due!
I am born and raised Italian. I ate meat and cheese my whole life in abundance- but I’ve been vegan for two years now. I had to cook my dad dinner for his birthday and stumbled across this recipe.
YOU CAN NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHOLESTEROL FILLED CHEESY RICOTTA SHELL AND THESE.
they are incredible. My hardcore italian family WOLFED them down.
I will be making these again and again and freezing them- wow.
Best part? grab your cashews on sale and this dish isnt even expensive to make. I am so impressed.
Thank you for developing this! No tips or tricks needed- just follow the recipe. The tofu ricotta is the BEST ive ever made.
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to leave this review! I appreciate it, and I am thrilled that you loved the stuffed shells so much, and your family too. Thank you!
Absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now and my family is always impressed!