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!
Absolutely love this recipe! I try to have a couple vegan recipes a week and I really wanted stuffed shells so I thought I’d try it since I’m also lactose intolerant. If I didn’t know this dish was vegan, I would never guess. It is so good and this is going to be in my rotation of staple dishes. Definitely recommend! Only thing is I would cut back on the amount of lemon juice cause it was a little too much 🙂
Hi Shannon! I’m so thrilled this is going on your meal rotation! Thank you for sharing your review and comments!
Nora, you’ve never let me down! Absolutely love this recipe, just like all your other ones. I make your blueberry scones (and put your vanilla frosting on there too!) every week. You’re the best!
I am thrilled that you are loving my recipes! Thank you for using them! I appreciate you taking your time to share your wonderful review!
My partner and I loved these! The cashew ricotta is sinfully indulgent. I would say though, that we thought it got better as left-overs. As there are only two of us, it lasted for three dinners. Each better than the last! Really enjoying your recipes. We absolutely adore (his non-vegan family also) your cheese sauce. It is a weekly staple in our house!
We thought so too! It’s so yummyandthe ricotta is delicious! Thank you Nora, we love your recipes
I took these to a party with non-vegans and didn’t tell anyone it was Vegan and people were taking seconds and finished it off. After it was all gone I told people it had tofu in it ?. Great recipe!!!!
Thanks for sharing your great review! I’m glad the shells were a hit!
Have you ever made something that tastes so good you start feeling like a whole chef even though you didn’t even create the recipe? ? thats how i am feeling after using this recipe! As a kid i loved making stuffed shells with my mom, it was one of my favorites. Now, as a new vegan, i was so excited to try this recipe and it did not disappoint- if anything my expectations were surpassed! It is not hard at all trust me i did not start cooking (on my own) until the diet change and making this was a breeze.
Thank you for sharing your fun and wonderful review, chef Emma! I am so glad you love the stuffed shells! Happy cooking!
My FAV recipe of all time. I rave about it to everyone. Do you think you could freeze it and then bake?
I’m so glad you love it, it’s one of my all time favorites as well! I’ve never tried freezing it before baking, but it might work. I have frozen leftovers and that worked quite well. Thank you!
Another great recipe. No changes needed. SUPERB!
Thank you Katie! I appreciate you sharing your review!
These were enjoyed by all–adults and children, vegan and non-vegan eaters. Thank you!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed the jumbo shells! Thank you, Amy, for sh bring your review!
This recipe can fool even the toughest of critics. My children couldn’t tell the difference. I also served it to all my non-vegan family members when they visited and received rave reviews. Great job at an amazing recipe.
Thank you, Julie, for taking time to share your review! I’m glad the shells were a hit!
Is there any other pasta I could use? I can’t find the big shells anywhere.
You could use lasagna noodles and roll them up, or maybe stuff manicotti shells with it.
I have used manicotti shells. It works!!
Do you soak the cashews before putting in the food processor?
No, you don’t need to here.
I’m about to make it. I don’t doubt it will be delicious! My vegan stepdaughter loves it when I use your recipes! And thanks for telling me not to soak the cashews-saves me time!
Thank you for sharing, Jacwuie! Happy cooking!
This in just done in the oven and I will leave a review soon. But I have to comment- I took a look at the metric conversions ( American living in Australia) just to see.. and boy did I laugh! Has anyone else looked!? SO (not) helpful. Ha ha! I am eager to try this- the ricotta tasted fantastic ‘raw’- can hardly wait to see how it tastes cooked!
That was fantastic! Everything about it works… so yummy! Thank you Nora!!
Thank you for sharing your great review, Sharon! I’m so glad the shells worked out fantastic for you!
This looks/sounds amazing! I was wondering if you think it would hold up ok if I assembled everything earlier in the day and kept it in the fridge until ready to bake? Thanks so much!
Hi Lyla. Yes, you can make ahead – Assemble the shells in the casserole dish ahead of time. 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. Happy cooking!
We loved this recipe! It was added to our bi-weekly menu.
Hi Jeff! I’m thrilled you guys love the stuffed shells and they are on your menu rotation! Thank you for sharing your great review!
This was delicious! I made it as written. I made the filling in my Vitamix and it turned the filling green from the spinach but that didn’t bother us. We loved it! Thank you!
I love them every time!
Thanks Tracy!
These stuffed shells are so decedent.
Such a treat. Thanks Nora ?
Thank you, Jules! I’m glad you enjoyed the shells!
These shells were incredible!! I made a home-made oil-free marinara instead of using jarred sauce, and the filling was amazingly delicious. The filling is so good on its own – I can imagine eating it on a slice of Ezekiel bread! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe…. both my husband and daughter also raved about it!
Hi Christine. I’m glad you and your family love the stuffed shells recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Hi – i made these vegan stuffed shells for Sunday dinner and they were gobbled up and loved by everyone. Two meat eating men thought they had chicken and cheese in them and they were very delicious and filling.
I will definitely make them again.
thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Loretta. I’m so glad your family enjoyed the stuffed shells! I appreciate you sharing your comments! Thank you!
This is probably the best vegan dish I have ever made! Thank you!! Saving us as new parents since we can eat it for days!
Hi! I’m glad you love the shells! Congrats on being new parents! Thank you very much for sharing!
This recipe is so delicious ? I made this for my parents who are trying to ditch animal fats and they loved it. I’d like to try it with all tofu and no cashews to see if the taste is compromised and to make the recipe less fattening. I cooked my noodles for about 9 minutes, they weren’t cooked all the way through, but once they were done baking everything was perfect. Everyone should try this recipe. Comfort meal at its finest. ❤️
Hi Olivia. I’m glad the recipe worked out for you! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe lives up to the hype. I will be trying out all of your other recipes just because of this one.
Hi Rephael. I’m so glad you enjoyed the stuffed shells recipe! Thank you for using my recipes! Let me know how they work out for you!
This is the first time I’ve ever written a comment. We’re new to Vegan recipes and I had no idea how this would turn out. It was really yummy! I substituted kale (blanched first) for the spinach because that’s what I had on hand. The whole thing with the raw cashews and the tofu — Who new it would be so good!!! Thanks.
Hi Susan. Thank you so much for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
How can I make these soy free? I really try to avoid tofu but this looks delish!
You could make them with my almond vegan ricotta instead (or even sub cashews for the almonds). No tofu then! Hope that helps!
Incredible recipe. Thank you so much. Everybody loves this. I always bake covered and take tin foil off for last 5 mins. Is this correct or should I bake uncovered for the whole 25 mins?
Thanks! I actually don’t cover them at all, but it’s fine to cover them for a bit if you want.