Vegan Stuffed Shells – Easy, High Protein Recipe (No Cashews!)

Homemade vegan stuffed shells are such an easy and comforting fancy high protein vegan dinner!

Why you’ll love these vegan stuffed shells

• The recipe is great for potlucks, holidays, or weekend family dinners.
• Low fat, low calorie, no cholesterol, and over 27 grams of protein per serving!
• I made them once for guests visiting from out of town, and apparently people didn’t even realize they were vegan. One of my friends asked me when I’d started eating dairy again. That’s how good these plant based Italian stuffed shells taste.
• The cheesy savory filling requires just three ingredients and no cashews. This meatless dish is completely nut free and dairy free, with an oil free option as well.

Dessert suggestion: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step by step recipe video

The entire recipe comes together in under 40 minutes, from start to finish. You simply boil and drain the pasta, add the hearty nondairy ricotta cheese filling, and let the oven do the rest.

Fast, quick, and so easy.

Serve with steamed or roasted vegetables, or with a side salad and toasted garlic bread, for a healthy and filling vegetarian meal that even meat eaters will enjoy.

These do not taste exactly like classic stuffed shell recipes with dairy cheese, nor should they. The shells are completely delicious in their own right, not as a substitute for something else.

Ingredients for vegan stuffed shells

Tomato sauce – Use any family favorite jarred pasta sauce for the quickest option. Or make your own homemade tomato pasta sauce from scratch.

For a white stuffed shell variation, use Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce or Vegan Alfredo Sauce instead of tomato sauce.

Tofu – The recipe calls for 22 ounces of firm tofu, found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores or health food stores. I also include a soy free alternative in the recipe box below. Or you can substitute mashed white beans or homemade cashew ricotta.

Nutritional yeast – This ingredient imparts a cheesy flavor to the tofu ricotta. Look to buy fortified nutritional yeast if you can. It contains numerous vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, which is an important nutrient vegans should make sure to get in their diet. Substitute an equal amount of vegan Parmesan cheese for the yeast if you wish.

Spices – Onion powder, salt, and dried oregano give more flavor to the shell filling. You may add other spices as desired, such as a pinch of black pepper or nutmeg, dried thyme, or rosemary.

Spinach – I love stirring chopped frozen spinach or kale into the filling, for extra calcium, iron, and nutrition. The vibrant green also makes the casserole dish look so pretty! It is perfectly fine to omit the spinach if you are serving picky eaters or simply prefer plain stuffed shells.

Oil or water – Two tablespoons of water or oil (I like olive oil) add moisture to the filling and keeps the tofu soft. Oil will give you a richer flavor but the recipe is still delicious if you use water instead.

Vegan cheese (optional) – Some people like to top their stuffed shells with a layer of melty shredded mozzarella cheese. I often skip this step, however you absolutely can sprinkle on your favorite nondairy cheese before baking the dish in the oven.

What type of pasta works best?

You need eight ounces of uncooked egg free jumbo shells, which should be readily available in the pasta aisle of most local grocery stores.

Packaged whole wheat, low carb, or gluten free pasta shells are often more difficult to locate. So if you want one of these specialty options and cannot find them, feel free to substitute manicotti tubes or cannelloni.

Another option is to make lasagna roll ups with cooked lasagna noodles instead of shells.

Short on time for dinner? Cook up some macaroni, penne, spaghetti, or small pasta shells and serve in bowls mixed with the tofu ricotta and tomato sauce. No stuffing required.

Still craving pasta? Make Pumpkin Mac And Cheese or Vegan Cacio e Pepe

How to make the dairy free stuffed shell pasta

1. Begin by cooking the shell pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions, until just al dente. Drain off the water, but do not rinse.
2. Meanwhile, mash the tofu in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and oregano until evenly mixed.
3. Thaw frozen spinach, blot off excess liquid, and roughly chop. Stir the spinach and optional oil or water into the tofu mixture.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
5. Spread about a third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch rectangular baking pan with a spatula, evenly covering the bottom of the pan.
6. Portion the tofu vegan ricotta filling into the cooked pasta. Then arrange the shells on top of the sauce in the prepared pan.
7. Spread all remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle on vegan cheese, if using.
8. Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven, and cover the top of the pan with a baking sheet or a layer of tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Carefully remove the cover, and continue to cook for another five minutes or until the sauce is hot and bubbly and shells appear lightly golden.
10. While the dish bakes in the oven, I like to heat up additional sauce for serving, because I love extra tomato sauce on my stuffed shells.

Serve hot, on plates or in bowls. Allow any leftovers to cool before covering the pan or transferring shells to covered containers and refrigerating.

Stored in the refrigerator, the recipe should stay fresh for up to five days. Or freeze in airtight containers for an easy vegan meal prep option. Thaw and reheat before enjoying.

• 1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse.

• 2. In a large bowl, mash the tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and oregano until evenly mixed.

• 3. Thaw froze spinach (if using), and blot off excess water. Roughly chop. Stir optional oil and spinach into the tofu ricotta.

• 4. Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.

• 5. Spread about a third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan.

• 6. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with tofu filling, then arrange on top of the sauce in the pan.

• 7. Evenly spread all remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle on a layer of vegan cheese if desired, and place the pan on the center rack of the oven.

• 8. Cover the top of the casserole dish with a thin baking sheet or a layer of tin foil. Bake 20 minutes.

• 9. Remove the cover and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and shells are lightly golden.

• 10. While the vegan stuffed shells cook, I like to heat up additional sauce for serving.

• 11. Serve hot, or allow to cool fully before covering and refrigerating or transferring the shells to meal prep containers and freezing leftovers for later.

More healthy vegan dinner recipes

Vegan Mac And Cheese

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Chickpea Vegetable Soup

Vegan Quiche

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Creamy Red Pepper Alfredo Pasta

How To Cook Sweet Potatoes

Cauliflower Soup

Vegan Ramen

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole