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Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach Ricotta
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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Stuffed Shells

A hearty, filling and delicous dish of vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach Ricotta for dinner. The shells are stuffed with a creamy, silky spinach and cashew mix and smothered in vegan marinara and cheese. You can make the marinara with vegan meat or lentils--it's yummy either way!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course/Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 465kcal

Equipment

  • 13 by 9 inch baking dish
  • Large pot for boiling pasta

Ingredients

For spinach ricotta

  • cups raw cashews
  • 8 oz frozen spinach (thawed and as much water squeezed out as possible)
  • ¾ cup vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ cup parsley
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cook the shells in boiling and salted pasta water for 2 minutes less than the recommended time on the package.
  • Once the pasta shells are ready, drain them in a colander and run cold water over them to stop them from cooking further. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water.
  • If adding sausage or lentils to the marinara, place the sauce in a pot. Add the crumbled meat or lentils to the pot and bring them to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, then turn off heat.
    If making marinara from scratch, add the vegan sausage or lentils in the last five minutes of cooking time.
    Stir the reserved cup of pasta cooking water into the marinara.
  • To make the ricotta, place all of the ricotta ingredients in the food processor or blender and process until smooth. If the blades don't move, trickle in just a tiny amount of water to help them move again, no more than a tablespoon at a time. If the ricotta gets too runny you will find it difficult to stuff it into the shells. Make sure it has enough salt.
  • Ladle half the marinara sauce into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spread evenly to cover the bottom..
  • Put a tablespoon of the spinach stuffing into each pasta shell. Arrange the shells in a single layer in the baking dish. You might need to pack them in tightly, but don't place them on top of one another.
  • Ladle the rest of the marinara over the shells. Sprinkle on the cashew parmesan and the mozzarella shreds. Cover with aluminum foil.
  • Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil after 30 minutes and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3533IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg