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    Home » Vegan Pasta

    Vegan Stuffed Shells

    Published: Mar 8, 2021 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Stuffed Shells

    These vegan stuffed shells are stuffed with an almond-tofu spinach ricotta, baked with marinara sauce and sprinkled with vegan parmesan for a fabulous crowd-pleasing dinner favorite.

    Vegan stuffed shells topped with marinara sauce on a white plate.

    If you’re a fan of comfort food (and really, who isn’t) then these jumbo vegan stuffed shells are right up your street.

    It’s not only an extremely delicious meal but it’s relatively quick and easy too. You can even prep a few things ahead of time, so it’s a great option for a dinner party and looks really impressive too. 

    It’s also really filling and a little goes a long way. 

    And if you love pasta dishes that serve a crowd you’ll also love our vegan pasta bake, vegan baked ziti, vegan lasagna and our baked vegan mac and cheese.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan stuffed shells.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Firm silken tofu – or extra firm silken tofu both work great in this recipe. You can actually use any tofu but we found firm or extra firm silken tofu to have the best texture. However we have also made this with regular firm tofu and it also works great.
    • Slivered almonds – should be soaked in hot water for 1 hour before being blended with other ingredients for the almond ricotta. You can also use blanched almonds.
    • Coconut cream – should be canned, unsweetened coconut cream. You can also use full fat, canned, unsweetened coconut milk.
    • Marinara sauce – Store-bought marinara sauce for the win! This saves heaps of time and there are always good options for a jar of basic marinara sauce pretty much everywhere.
    Vegan stuffed shells topped with marinara sauce and vegan parmesan on a white plate.

    How To Make Vegan Stuffed Shells

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    Soak Slivered Almonds:

    • Soak slivered almonds in hot water for an hour first. Place them into a bowl, pour hot water from the kettle over the top and then leave them to soak for 1 hour.

    Make the pasta:

    • Put the pasta on to cook according to package directions but only cook them until al dente or just before. They need to be firm for stuffing.
    • When the shells are al dente, drain and rinse.

    Make the Almond Ricotta:

    • When the slivered almonds have soaked for an hour, drain and rinse them and then add them to the blender jug along with coconut cream, nutritional yeast, white vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and garlic powder.
    • Blend until smooth. The texture will still be a little grainy, but that is just fine.
    Two photo collage showing ingredients in blender and then blended.

    Almond Tofu Spinach Ricotta:

    • Now add your full batch of almond ricotta to your food processor and add tofu (broken into pieces), chopped baby spinach, chopped parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
    • Process until well mixed. If the mix goes a little green from the spinach and parsley, this is fine.
    Two photo collage showing ingredients in a food processor and then processed.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
    • Add 1 cup (240ml) of marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.
    • Stuff the shells using a small spoon and stuff each one to the brim so that you use up all the filling. Place the stuffed shells into the 9×13 dish on top of the marinara sauce.
    Two photo collage showing marinara sauce in a baking dish and topped with stuffed shells.
    • When all the shells are in, pour over the remaining marinara sauce.
    Two photo collage showing a close up of a stuffed shell and stuffed shells ready to bake.
    • Cover the dish with foil and place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes uncovered.
    • Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese (optional) and serve.
    Two photo collage showing baked stuffed shells and then topped with vegan parmesan.

    Make-Ahead

    If you want to prepare any ingredients in advance, then having your basic recipe for almond ricotta already made will save time, then you can just add that to your food processor along with the tofu, parsley, spinach and spices.

    The almond ricotta requires soaking the slivered almonds for an hour in hot water first, so that takes up some time. 

    If that’s already made, then you can just cook your shells, whip up the filling in the food processor, stuff the shells and then assemble in the dish with the marinara sauce and bake in the oven for 25 minutes covered and then another 5-10 minutes uncovered. 

    If you want to make the whole thing in advance you can do so. Just make it up to the point that it would go into the oven, cover with foil and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours and then bake it as usual.

    Vegan stuffed shells topped with marinara sauce in a white baking dish.

    Chef’s Tips

    Cook your shells until they are al dente at most. You can even cook them a little less. They should be cooked to the point where they are ‘almost’ done but you wouldn’t eat them exactly like that, you’d think they were underdone if they were served right away. 

    This prevents them from being over-cooked by the time you serve them and also makes them easier to stuff since they are nice and firm. 

    Make sure your almond-tofu-spinach ricotta tastes good before you stuff the shells. If it tastes a little bland add more flavoring. Make sure you enjoy how it tastes, because it isn’t going to taste all that different once it’s baked. 

    Use a tasty marinara sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with marinara sauce, but it is the crowning glory of this dish so you need it to be a tasty one. Use your favorite variety that you know is good. Also don’t be shy with it and use a nice liberal amount. 

    Fancy it up if you like! If you want to add something like vegan mozzarella to the top and let that melt in the oven when the foil comes off, well, go on with your bad self! That would be pretty awesome.

    Vegan stuffed shells topped with marinara sauce on a white plate.

    Recipe FAQ

    What goes with vegan stuffed shells?

    A salad on the side is a great plan, such as a vegan Greek salad, vegan chickpea salad or vegan caesar salad. Some vegan garlic bread would be delicious on the side as well.

    How to store vegan stuffed shells?

    Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and enjoy within the next 3-4 days. 

    Can you freeze it?

    They are freezer friendly up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely before freezing. You can also freeze them before baking. Make them up to the point of baking, cover in cling wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Vegan stuffed shells on a white plate.

    More Vegan Pasta Recipes

    1. Vegan Pesto Pasta
    2. Vegan Carbonara
    3. Vegan Mushroom Pasta
    4. Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
    5. Vegan Alfredo Sauce
    6. Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    Vegan stuffed pasta shell on a fork.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan stuffed shells on a white plate with a fork.

    Vegan Stuffed Shells

    Vegan stuffed shells stuffed with an almond tofu spinach ricotta and topped with a rich and delicious marinara sauce and baked. Ideal comfort food.
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 376kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Pasta Shells:

    • 8 ounces Jumbo Shells (226g)

    Almond Ricotta:

    • 1 ½ cups Slivered Almonds (195g) Soaked in hot water for 1 hour
    • ½ cup Canned Coconut Cream (120ml) Unsweetened
    • 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
    • 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
    • 1 tsp Sea Salt
    • ½ tsp Garlic Powder

    Tofu Spinach Ricotta:

    • 10 ounces Firm Silken Tofu (280g)
    • 1 cup Baby Spinach (40g) Chopped
    • 2 Tbsp Parsley Finely chopped
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

    Marinara Sauce:

    • 2 ½ cups Marinara Sauce (600ml)

    Serving (Optional):

    • Vegan Parmesan Cheese
    • Chopped Parsley
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Soak almonds: Soak slivered almonds in hot water for an hour first. Place them into a bowl, pour hot water from the kettle over the top and then leave them to soak for 1 hour.
    • Cook pasta: Put the pasta on to cook according to package directions but only cook them until al dente or just before. They need to be firm for stuffing. When the shells are al dente, drain and rinse.
    • Make almond ricotta: When the slivered almonds have soaked for an hour, drain and rinse them and then add them to the blender jug along with coconut cream, nutritional yeast, white vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and garlic powder. Blend until smooth. The texture will still be a little grainy, but that is just fine. 
    • Make tofu spinach ricotta: Now add your full batch of almond ricotta to your food processor and add tofu (broken into pieces), chopped baby spinach, chopped parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Process until well mixed. If the mix goes a little green from the spinach and parsley, this is fine. 
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
    • Add 1 cup (240ml) of marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.
    • Stuff the shells using a small spoon and stuff each one to the brim so that you use up all the filling. Place the stuffed shells into the 9×13 dish on top of the marinara sauce.
    • When all the shells are in, pour over the remaining marinara sauce.
    • Cover the dish with foil and place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes uncovered.
    • Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese (optional) and serve.

    Notes

    1. You can use any tofu, but we found firm or extra firm silken tofu to result in the best texture. However, we have made this with regular firm tofu as well and it also works great. 
    2. Use any great tasting marinara sauce.
    3. Prep time does not include the hour spent soaking the slivered almonds. 
    4. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. 
    5. Nutritional information does not include vegan parmesan cheese on top.
    6. This recipe was first published in March 2019. It has been updated with extra tips but the recipe itself is unchanged. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.8g | Protein: 15.8g | Fat: 19.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.9g | Sodium: 814mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 6.1g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julieanne says

      April 04, 2021 at 10:09 pm

      I made this recipe with a gluten free pasta shell and it was absolutely delicious! I always get nervous when trying new recipes for fear of how they will turn out. This was so good. I am half Italian, having grown up with an Italian mother. Due to food intolerances, I have not had stuffed shells in a few years. You gave me back a piece of my life!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 05, 2021 at 12:00 pm

        Hi Julieanne, I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment and review. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Edie Gegolick says

      March 11, 2021 at 1:01 am

      I’m loving your recipes Alison. Even my carnivore husband gives them the thumbs up! Can this be frozen and if so, before baking or after?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 11, 2021 at 10:47 am

        Thanks Edie, there are instructions for storing and freezing in the FAQ section. 🙂

        Reply
    3. A Kelly says

      May 07, 2020 at 3:29 am

      I am allergic to nuts, so I replaced the almonds with tofu and added
      vegan parmesan cheese in the mixture. Flavor turns out great

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 07, 2020 at 9:58 am

        Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
      • Tracy Vegan says

        June 06, 2020 at 2:29 am

        Me again! Is everything on this blog insanely delicious? This afternoon I made the pumpkin bread which my husband and I were blown away by. Then tonight we had the stuffed shells. It was indistinguishable from the shells we remember from childhood. The only change I made was I used half the parsley and spinach. My husband said it tasted like an expensive vegan restaurant meal!5 stars

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          June 06, 2020 at 12:47 pm

          Awesome! So happy to hear that Tracy, thanks a million!

          Reply
    4. Diana says

      May 04, 2020 at 10:54 am

      Delicious! I didn’t have enough almonds but had almonds meal. It saved me the soaking step and the consistency was spot on.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:23 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for sharing Diana!

        Reply
    5. Barbara says

      June 15, 2019 at 2:25 am

      Can I make this without any soy products whatsoever? Thanks5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 17, 2019 at 10:12 am

        Hi Barbara, you could make a double batch of the almond ricotta, and then just leave out the tofu and add in the fresh spinach and parsley. Don’t use the extra onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper, because you likely won’t need it. Those extra spices were to account for the relative blandness of the tofu. If you’re using a double batch of almond ricotta, you likely won’t need it, just add the fresh spinach and parsley. All the best! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Tyler says

      April 17, 2019 at 8:04 am

      This is excellent. Love the spinach ricotta.5 stars

      Reply
    7. Tracey says

      April 08, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Is there a vegan ricotta recipe that doesn’t involve nuts? I have a 10 year old with nut allergies. All responses appreciated. Thank you 😉

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 09, 2019 at 7:52 am

        Hi Tracey, you can make it with just tofu as well. I haven’t got a recipe for a plain tofu ricotta on my blog yet, but there is a good one on Simple Vegan Blog. 🙂

        Reply
        • Tracey says

          April 12, 2019 at 1:38 pm

          thank you Alison!!

          Reply
    8. Felicity says

      April 01, 2019 at 2:49 pm

      We loved this recipe. Really easy to put together when you make the ricotta in advance and even our non-vegan friends were very impressed!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 01, 2019 at 2:50 pm

        Fantastic! So happy to hear that, and thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂

        Reply
    9. The Book of Food says

      April 01, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Thank you.4 stars

      Reply

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