These Vegan Spinach Stuffed Shells are easy and delicious! Quick to make and healthy for you, this recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. The whole family will enjoy this vegan version of the classic!
*Originally published September 16, 2021 and updated with new copy and photos 2/22/23.
Is there anything more comforting than pasta? For me, pasta is the ultimate comfort food. It is easy to make and just so satisfying. One of the things I love the most is cheese stuffed shells. There was just something so delicious about the gooey cheese and pasta together, however they are often heavy and leave you feeling full and icky. You won't even miss the dairy in these vegan spinach stuffed shells they pack all of the flavor with none of the heavy dairy!
These vegan stuffed shells come together in just 40 minutes and are the perfect filling weeknight meal for the whole family to enjoy!
I have a bunch of great pasta recipes on my site, check out a few of them here like this Easy Lasagna Verde, this Cajun Pasta with Smoked Sausage or this Vegan Ravioli Pesto Bake!
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What Makes These Vegan Spinach Stuffed Shells So Great
- 40 Minutes- These vegan stuffed shells are ready in just 30 minutes which makes it the perfect meal to make any day of the week!
- Filling and Hearty- With a lot of protein coming from the tofu ricotta, these shells will fill you up and be the perfect main dish for the whole family.
- Less than 10 ingredients- This whole recipe has less than 10 ingredients which makes it the perfect meal to just throw together and there is minimal effort involved in making it!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Firm Tofu-The base of the vegan ricotta is the tofu. Make sure to get firm tofu. There is no need to press the tofu beforehand. In a pinch, you can swap the tofu out for 1 cup of fine-blanched almond flour.
- Frozen Chopped Spinach-Frozen spinach is easy and will allow you to cut a few corners. You can use fresh spinach but it will mean you have to add a few steps
- Nutritional Yeast-The nutritional yeast helps turn this vegan tofu ricotta into a deliciously cheesy dupe. Seriously, even your non-vegan friends will love this!
- Marinara Sauce- I used jarred marinara sauce in this recipe to keep it easy. However, feel free to use a homemade sauce if you prefer!
A complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Fresh Vs Frozen Spinach
You can use fresh spinach in this recipe, however, know that it does take more time and extra steps.
First, to prevent the ricotta from getting stringy, you will need to chop all the spinach down into small pieces.
You will also need to cook your spinach before adding it to the mixture. It will help the leaves to break down or you will be eating a crunchy filling.
Instructions
Step 1: Bring a pot of salted water to boil and boil the pasta shells according to the package directions.
Step 2: Add the tofu, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a food processor and process until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 3: Fold the thawed spinach into the ricotta mixture.
Step 4: Spread ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Step 5: Using a spoon, spoon the ricotta filling into the cooled shells.
Step 6: Top the filled shells with the remaining marinara sauce. Bake for 20 minutes
Recipe Serving Suggestions
This pasta is hearty and filling enough on its own, however here are some ideas of what to serve with it if you want a full meal!
- French Bread
- Chopped or Caesar Salad
- Focaccia Bread
- Garlic Bread
Variations
Want to try this but give it your spin? Check out some of these variations below!
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the ricotta to spice it up!
- Deluxe - swap the spinach for pesto in the ricotta to make a fancy version of this recipe.
- Kid-friendly - cut the shells into small bites for a kid-friendly meal
Check out this spicy pasta or this pink sauce pasta recipe!
Storage
Store the pasta in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
Fill all the shells with the ricotta mixture and place them on a large sheet pan. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and then foil and allow to freeze completely. Once frozen, transfer the shells to large freezer bags. Remove any air and return to the freeze. You can freeze these stuffed shells for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat: Add ½ cup marinara to a baking dish. Place the frozen shells on top and add an additional 2 and ½ cups sauce. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F. Check that the shells are hot and cooked through at about 30 minutes.
Top tips
- Using jarred marinara sauce is the best hack to make this an easy and quick dinner. Feel free to make your marinara sauce but going the jarred route will make this a quick and easy meal!
- Make sure to rinse your shells under cold water before filling them. You don't want to burn your hands!
- If you don't have a food processor, you can make this tofu ricotta in a blender. Just make sure to not blend it to the point of it becoming liquid.
Recipe FAQ's
If you boil the shells for too long then they will split when trying to fill them. Boil them until just al dente and make sure to press most of the water out of the spinach.
Honestly, there isn't much of a difference. Both pasta shapes are designed to be filled with ingredients. I much prefer the jumbo shells over manicotti as they are easier to fill with a spoon.
I don’t recommend cooking the shells before freezing.
Other Great Pasta Recipes To Try
Vegan Spinach Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- 1 13x9 Casserole Dish
- 1 8 Qt Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 1 block Firm Tofu
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- 1 cup Frozen Chopped Spinach thawed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Marinara Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and boil the pasta noodles according to package directions.
- Add the tofu, lemon, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until everything is combined and the texture resembles ricotta cheese.
- Fold in the frozen chopped spinach.
- Once the pasta is done boiling, drain and rinse under cool water.
- Spread ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
- After rinsing the pasta, using a spoon, spoon the ricotta filling into the shells.
- Add the filled pasta shells to the casserole dish and top with the remaining marinara sauce.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Notes
- Using jarred marinara sauce is the best hack to make this an easy and quick dinner. Feel free to make your marinara sauce but going the jarred route will make this a quick and easy meal!
- Make sure to rinse your shells under cold water before filling them. You don't want to burn your hands!
- If you don't have a food processor, you can make this tofu ricotta in a blender. Just make sure to not blend it to the point of it becoming liquid.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Alexandra says
Stuffed shells are one of my favourites! I made these for my best friend who is a vegan, and she loved them - I thought that they were incredible too, and such a fantastic use of tofu. We will make again!
kaydimaggio says
So glad!
Chrissaysnature says
These stuffed shells are perfection! I love this recipe! I served mine with some vegan meatballs and it was so good! Thank you!
kaydimaggio says
So glad you liked it!
Amanda Scarlati says
These were so good! My dairy loving family even loved them!
kaydimaggio says
Awesome! It is always a good day when that is the case!
Tyanne says
This tasted amazing! Great way to use tofu.
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed!
Maren says
Made this for my family for dinner and they loved it! Especially my toddler daughter!
kaydimaggio says
So glad everyone liked it!
Emily says
These vegan stuffed shells are the perfect comfort food! I love this recipe especially as the weather is getting cooler!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed!
Choclette says
I can't wait to make your vegan stuffed pasta shells. Perfect for autumn. Love that you've made them with tofu too.
kaydimaggio says
I hope you enjoy!
Luca says
As I am a pasta lover, I can't but say how much I enjoyed this dish. Very easy to make, but so good! This is the perfect Sunday lunch!
kaydimaggio says
So glad you enjoyed!
Oscar says
Stuffed shells were always a favourite of mine as a kid. Having vegan stuffed shells just made it even better. Great recipe.
kaydimaggio says
So glad you enjoyed!
Megan Ellam says
I love using jumbo shells and this recipe looks amazing. I look forward to trying it out next week. Thanks for the inspo!
kaydimaggio says
Hope you enjoy!
Jeri says
Stuffed shells are one of my favorites! My kids had no idea it was made with tofu! So delicious!
kaydimaggio says
So glad you liked it!
Agnieszka says
Replacing ricotta with tofu is a genius trick! Really loved this dish!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you loved it!
Natalie says
I'm such a huge pasta fan. This looks fantastic! I'm making this for dinner tomorrow. Thanks!
kaydimaggio says
So glad you liked it!