These Vegan Stuffed Shells are so easy to make and something the whole family will love. Jumbo gluten-free pasta shells stuffed with creamy tofu ricotta and covered with delicious homemade marinara sauce. It’s healthy, oil-free, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Are you ready for your life to change? I tend to be a bit melodramatic, but in the case of this incredible dish – the best vegan stuffed shells recipe – it’s completely warranted and true.
What’s not to love about this dish? You’ve got comforting carbs, a cheesy ricotta filling, and it’s all topped off with a delicious homemade marinara sauce. The most powerful food trifecta on the planet. Let’s get this carb party started!
Ingredients For Vegan Stuffed Shells
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: I couldn’t find whole-wheat so I decided to go with this gluten-free shell pasta (affiliate link) and it worked great.
- Vegan Ricotta: Tofu ricotta is super easy to make. You can prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It’s good for up to 3-4 days.
- Marinara: This marinara recipe is so simple and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. You can use storebought just make sure it’s oil-free. However, homemade is always better.
- Toppings: Vegan Parmesan is the perfect topping for this delicious dish. Give it a good sprinkle before serving.
Table of Contents
How To Make Vegan Stuffed Shells
First things first – choose your pasta. I could not find whole wheat jumbo pasta shells. So, I had to use just regular shells.
However, I did find these gluten-free brown rice jumbo shells and that’s huge for those who typically have to avoid pasta dishes.
- Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Tofu Ricotta: Prepare the vegan tofu ricotta while the pasta cooks and evenly spread 1 ½ cups of the marinara sauce on the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish or 9×13 baking dish (affiliate link).
- Stuff The Shells: Once the pasta has finished cooking drain it and fill each shell with 1-2 heaping tablespoons of the vegan ricotta and place in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until you have used all the tofu ricotta. FYI, I was able to get 5 rows of 3 in an 8×8 baking dish.
- Bake: Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and bake uncovered for 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with vegan parmesan, and serve.
And, just like that, a delicious, healthy, vegan, restaurant-style Italian meal even the kids are going to swoon over!
Vegan Stuffed Shells FAQ
How Long Will Vegan Stuffed Shells Last?
Vegan Stuffed Shells can be kept in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.
To reheat, place the shells in an oven-safe dish and warm in a 325˚F oven for 10-15 minutes. Once they are ready simply remove and serve.
Can I Freeze Vegan Stuffed Shells?
Yes! Prepare the stuffed shells according to the directions but don’t cook them. Then, store in a freezer-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. You can store this in the freezer for up to 4 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy simply bake the vegan stuffed shells according to the recipe instructions but add an extra 10-15 minutes. Keep in mind every appliance is different so always keep an eye on it as it cooks.
Can I Make Vegan Stuffed Shells Ahead Of Time?
Yes, absolutely! This recipe can be prepared the day before. Follow all the instructions up until baking, cover, and place in the fridge. Follow regular cooking directions when you’re ready to bake.
What Are Good Side Dishes For Stuffed Shells?
- Easy 5-Ingredient Whole Wheat Beer Bread
- Oven Roasted Asparagus with Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Apple Walnut Salad
More Healthy Pasta Dishes
- Vegan Minestrone
- The BEST Vegan Bolognese
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta
- Vegan Lasagna Rolls
- Sweet Chili Garlic Instant Pot Noodles
You are going to love these Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta! They’re…
This recipe is great when you’re entertaining and need something everyone is sure to love. It’s also great as a holiday meal especially on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Also, here are a few of my favorite things: My list of 20 Kitchen Must Haves For Healthy Vegan Oil Free Cooking.
If you make this recipe be sure and let me know. Please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure to share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work!
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Vegan Stuffed Shells (Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 15 mins.
- Cook Time: 40 mins.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Vegan Stuffed Shells are so easy to make and something the whole family will love. Jumbo gluten-free pasta shells stuffed with creamy tofu ricotta and covered with delicious homemade marinara sauce. It’s healthy, oil-free, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1 box of gluten-free jumbo shell pasta or jumbo shell pasta of choice
- Shane & Simple Vegan Tofu Ricotta
- 3 cups Shane & Simple Vegan Marinara
For Serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees ˚F.
- Cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions.
- Make the tofu ricotta and set aside.
- Spread 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of either a 9×13 baking dish (affiliate link) or 8×8 baking dish.
- Fill each pasta shell with 1-2 heaping tablespoon of the tofu ricotta. Place the shells open side up in the baking dish and continue until you’ve used all the ricotta filling.
- Pour the remaining suace over the shells and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
- Remove and serve immediately with my Plant-based Parmesan sprinkled on top (optional)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 shells
- Calories: 143
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 425.3 mg
- Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.7 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 9.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Italian, vegan Italian, plant-based, vegan pasta dish, vegan stuffed shells, tofu ricotta, stuffed jumbo shells
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Another WINNER from Shane! I couldn’t believe how much it tasted like the real thing! Thanks so much!!!
★★★★★
Awesome!!!
This is soooo good! I used to make stuffed shells the standard way, and never imagined I could get that mouth-feel again after going plantstrong. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Melinda! If you wouldn’t mind I’d really appreciate you giving this recipe a star rating…it helps me with the Google “gods” as well as helping others find this recipe. Thank you and blessings!
The shells were very easy to make and stuff. I used 2 boxes of Pomi chopped tomatoes because that is all I had. The sauce is chunky and delicious.
This recipe is a keeper!!
★★★★★
I had a lot of questions making this. Recipe calls for a whole box of jumbo shells, and i wound up with more leftover than I used. The marinara calls for two TABLESPOONS EACH of oregano and basil, which is a LOT of herbs. I used two quart jars of canned tomatoes (64 oz., which is more than the recipe called for) and my sauce still looked like herb stew. Then the ricotta called for THREE tablespoons of Italian seasonong (more oregano!). I have never used that much seasoning even in a large pot of chili! Just want to know if those were misprints. In the end everything was pretty overseasoned for my taste, but the tofu ricota wos convincing enough that I’ll definitely try this again. After all, I have a bunch of shells to use up! Love your site, though. It is making going vegan a lot easier for me, as I’m not big into Buddha bowls and leaves!
★★★★
I bought firm tofu by accident. Will this work. And can I use it as a lasagna seeing as I can’t find gluten free shells in any store? TIA
Yes and yes:)
Delicious. Makes a lot. Put it in 2 separate pans and froze half. Had some day one and put leftovers in the fridge. It actually tastes better the second day. Love all of your recipes that I have tried so far.
★★★★★
Amazing. I made this and it was absolutely perfect and delicious. The Tofu Ricotta tastes like Ricotta and the Marinara Sauce is so flavorful. Put all in jumbo pasta shells and perfection. Thank you again for these recipes being vegan and no oil. Thank you.
★★★★★
This was delicious! The only problem was I cooked a whole box of shells so I had tons of shells left over. Problem solved. I went to the store and got more tofu and we ate it again two nights later. No one complained cause it is so good! Next time I will double the filling recipe and put half of the shells in the freezer. I got 18 stuffed shells each time. I will be serving this at a dinner party because no one would know it is vegan. Thank you!
★★★★★
Way to go, Trish;) Those pesky extras…oh, well, just have to make more. I love these kinds of problems:)
Rich, creamy, easy, and unbeivably delicious! You’d never know it was healthy and vegan. WOW!!!
★★★★★
Can you substitute the tofu
Hey friend! We’re in lockdown due to being exposed to this virus (hubby treated sick patient 🙁
So I’m trying to make whatever I can with what I have…and all I have is silken tofu. Are there any hacks I can use to make this type work? Thanks for any help you’ve got!
Incredibly delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you!
Thanks for this recipe. Things I loved: 1. It was so easy to make. 2. It was great for prepping the night before and then baking for dinner the next night. 3. My non vegan friends enjoyed it.
If anyone doesn’t have a food processor I found my kitchen aide stand mixer worked perfectly for getting the right tofu texture.
★★★★
Thanks, Nina! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing the tips. Great stuff.
★★★★★
I always made this when my children were growing up. I added grated carrot to the spinach to get extra vegetables into the recipe. I blanched the carrots before baking.
★★★★
Thanks!!!
★★★★★
hi Shane, do you press the tofu first or just drain and pat dry?
For this recipe, I just drain the water and crumble.
Easy, simple, and delicious!
★★★★★
I will not use white flour so I’m wondering if this would work using standard size pastas and turning this into a casserole?
Never tried it, but it’s worth a shot. However, the pasta I used is Brown Rice Gluten-Free pasta and I provided a link in the post, FYI.