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Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta

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Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta

In this article you will find a delicious vegan stuffed shells recipe that even non-vegans will love! Honestly, they probably won’t even realize it’s no vegan! The tofu ricotta has a cashew cream that makes it taste amazingly similar to real ricotta, and kids love it, too!

There are few dinner recipes that I remember my mom making when I was younger, but stuffed shells was one of them.

The ones she made were not vegan, and honestly, I can’t remember if she made some with meat or not. She still would’ve made mine vegetarian, since I stopped eating meat when I was 7. Ha, and she considered me picky back then!

But, still, I enjoyed those stuffed shells, so much so I knew I needed to create a version that I love even more. That was also cruelty free, healthy, and vegan! (I know, it’s a bit repetitive…)

Keep reading to find a delicious vegan stuffed shell recipe, that even picky eaters will eat!

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vegan stuffed shells 1

How to Make This Stuffed Shells Recipe

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F.

Then get everything you’ll need out. This includes:

  • all the ingredients
  • A pot and strainer for the noodles
  • a pan for the spinach
  • a bowl for the tofu spinach ricotta
  • a small pot for boiling cashews (unless you like soaking them overnight, but I never do that)
  • your food processor
  • a 9×13 and 8×8 inch baking dishes

If you have kids, this is a great recipe to have them help with, as there are so many different parts to it.

I’ll usually start with getting water on the stove to boil for the shells.

Then boil the cashews and let them cool.

While I wait for the water for the shells to boil and for the cashews to cool; I’ll throw the frozen chopped spinach on a pan on the stove and have my oldest daughter, the picky eater, cook those til done. See, she knows that spinach is in the lasagna, and she still eats it!

cooked spinach

By then, I add the shells to the boil water on the stove.

After that I’ll place all the ingredients for the cashew cream into the food processor, and allow to cool further.

Then I’ll drain and squeeze out any liquid from the tofu, place it in a bowl, and let my four year old mash it up with a fork. Kids come in handy!

tofu

The Vegan Ricotta

Once the cashews are cool in the food processor, I process all the ingredients for the tofu ricotta.

That usually gives my daughters enough time to finish cooking the spinach til warm and wilted, and mashing up the tofu.

Then we mix the tofu, cashew cream, spinach and other tofu ricotta ingredients together til well combined.

tofu ricotta cashew cream

Stuff the Shells

Before stuffing the shells, add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of both of the dishes.

Then stuff the shells with the tofu ricotta mixture until all the shells are full or all of the ricotta has been used.

You should have just about enough of both for everything to be used. If anything is left over it may be a couple of shells. In my case, it’s usually the shells that are broken anyways and my girls will just eat them plain.

Once all of the shells are stuffed, add more sauce over the shells. Then use a spoon or something else to make sure all the shells are covered, at least by a thin layer, with sauce; this way they won’t dry out in the oven.

vegan stuffed shells b

Bake for about 45 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Feel free to use more or less sauce, based on your own preference.

**Use more or less spinach as preferred. 

vegan stuffed shells a
vegan stuffed shells a

Vegan Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta

Shawna Clapper
A family favorite recipe that's now completely vegan and healthy! Your kids are going to love this classic Italian dish!
5 from 1 vote
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 9 servings

Equipment

  • Oven & Stove
  • Large pot & pan
  • food processor
  • Various Utensils (fork, spoons, spatula)
  • 9×13 and 8×8 casserole dishes
  • Foil

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box Jumbo Shells
  • cups Marinara Sauce

Cashew Cream

  • cups Cashews
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Pinch Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • tbsp Lemon Juice

Tofu Spinach Ricotta

  • 1 cup Spinach chopped
  • 1 (16oz) Tofu firm
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • all Cashew Cream from above

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and get out everything needed for recipe.
  • Cook shells per directions on box, drain and set aside to cool when done.
  • Make cashew cream by boiling cashews for 5 minutes, drain and add to food processor.
  • Add rest of cashew cream ingredients to food processor and blend til creamy.
  • Cook spinach on stove til wilted, and not frozen if using frozen.
  • Start tofu ricotta by draining tofu and mashing completely with a fork.
  • Add rest of ricotta ingredients to the same bowl as the tofu and mix well.
  • Add a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of dishes.
  • Fill each shell with the tofu spinach ricotta mixture and place in dishes.
  • Spread the remaining sauce over the shells (more or less, as you like).
  • Cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes
  • Let cool and enjoy!

Notes

*Feel free to use more or less sauce, based on your own preference.
**Use more or less spinach as preferred. 
Keyword tofu
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