These Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells are filled with the most amazing spinach ricotta, covered with marinara sauce and baked to perfection! Comfort food that is perfect for feeding a crowd.
When I need a kid friendly meal that everyone will love, I turn to Vegan Lasagna, Vegan Mac and Cheese, Baked Ziti or these amazing stuffed shells.
I’ve served these shells countless times to various groups, and no one ever guesses they’re completely vegan! The ricotta filling rivals any dairy filled cheese, and will keep you coming back for more.
For added richness, add a few cups of non-dairy mozzarella shreds to the top while it bakes. But it’s really not necessary.
Tips for success
- Don’t overcook the pasta. We don’t want mushy shells, and they will continue to cook a little in the oven. Rinse the cooked shells in cold water as soon as they are done.
- Try using a piping bag to stuff the shells. It makes filling the shells a breeze! You can also use a small spoon.
- Frozen or fresh spinach – I use whatever I have on hand, and either is perfectly fine.
- Make ahead – You can assemble the shells in the casserole dish ahead of time, such as in preparation of a holiday meal. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. I would not let them sit longer than 8-10 hours before baking. Give them a few extra minutes to cook since they will be cold going in.
I hope you LOVE these Vegan Stuffed Shells. They are:
- Crowd-pleasing comfort food
- Kid-approved
- Savory & rich tasting
- Pasta perfection!
- Filling & oh-so-satisfying
Want more vegan pasta recipes to serve a crowd?
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Alfredo
Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells with Spinach
These Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells are filled with the most amazing spinach ricotta, covered with marinara sauce and baked to perfection! Comfort food that is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- (1) 12-ounce package jumbo shells
- (1) 26-ounce jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
Spinach Ricotta:
- 2 cups raw cashews
- (1) 14-ounce firm tofu drained from package
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- (1) 10-ounce package 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!
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 954mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4563IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
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!