These vegan stuffed pasta shells are the ultimate comfort food! Filled with a rich, creamy, dairy-free ricotta and baked in a blanket of marinara sauce until bubbly and golden, they’re perfect for weeknight dinners, sharing with friends, or just treating yourself to some serious pasta heaven!
Instead of traditional ricotta cheese, we’re blending up a combo of soaked cashews, firm tofu, lemon juice, garlic and nutritional yeast. The result is creamy, savoury, and just tangy enough to mimic ricotta—plus fresh spinach adds a pop of colour and nutrients.
Ingredients
- 🍅 Jumbo Pasta Shells– Look for classic conchiglioni (giant pasta shells). Cook until just al dente as they will soften more in the oven.
- 🌰 Raw Cashews– These give the ricotta its rich, creamy texture and mild nuttiness.
Soak them in hot water for 20–30 minutes or leave them to soak overnight. Raw (not roasted or salted) is key for the right flavour and texture. - 🧈 Firm Tofu– Tofu adds protein and structure to the ricotta, balancing out the richness of the cashews. Press out excess water for best results. Firm or extra-firm tofu both work well.
- 🌿 Spinach– Spinach adds colour, texture, and nutrients to the filling. fresh spinach has to be ‘wilted’ before adding to the ricotta (see video). You can use frozen spinach if preferred- just make sure to drain excess water after thawing, so your filling doesn’t get watery.
- 🍋 Lemon Juice– Brings that essential tang to the ricotta.
- 🧄 Garlic– A spoonful of garlic paste or 2 cloves of garlic gives the ricotta a savoury kick.
- ✨ Nutritional Yeast– This is your cheesy flavour booster. It adds a hint of parmesan-like depth without any dairy.
- 🍅 Marinara Sauce– Use your favourite jarred passata or finely diced tomatoes, add salt, pepper and any herbs you like such as dried basil or oregano. Taste your sauce first—if it’s too acidic, add a pinch of sugar or a splash of olive oil.
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Ingredients
- ½ packet giant pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked and drained
- ½ cup water
- 14-ounce firm tofu drained from package
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 med lemons- juice
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can marinara sauce or passata
- Grated vegan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the giant pasta shells according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onion. Cook over medium heat until golden brown (around 8-10mins).
- Add chopped fresh spinach. Cook for around 5 mins, until spinach is wilted. Set aside.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the soaked cashews and water. Blend until mostly smooth.
- Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic paste, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add a splash of water if it’s too thick. The texture should be thick but creamy—like ricotta.
- Fold in the onion and spinach mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (more salt, lemon, or garlic paste, depending on your preference).
- Preheat oven to 200℃.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce/ passata on the bottom of baking dish.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, fill each cooked shell with a generous amount of ricotta filling. Arrange them in the baking dish, open side up.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Add grated vegan cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. For a slightly crisped top, remove foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Tried this recipe?Mention @thecozyvegankitchen or tag #thecozyvegankitchen!
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