Vegan Stuffed Shells (With Spinach and Ricotta)
The classic ricotta stuffed shells dish made vegan! This plant-based version is just as delicious, satisfying, and comforting! These vegan stuffed shells are filled with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling and baked in plenty of marinara sauce!
Ingredients
Ricotta Filling
- 9 ounces vegan ricotta
- 3/4 cup frozen spinach roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 4-5 leaves fresh basil optional, chopped
The Rest
- 14 Jumbo shells
- 1 and 1/2 cup marinara sauce or passata sauce
Instructions
Ricotta Filling
- Add the vegan ricotta, chopped spinach, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, black pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, and fresh basil, if using, to a mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine and taste to adjust the saltiness to your liking. Set aside.
Stuffed Shells
- Preheat the oven to
400 °F (200°C). - Cook the shells. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells for about 10 minutes. Depending on the brand, you might have to adjust the cooking time. The shells should be al dente, even slightly under-cooked, as they will be baked later.
- Once the shells are ready, drain them and rinse them under water. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle them with olive oil. This will prevent the shells from sticking to each other.
- Stuff the shells. Using a spoon, fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling.
- Assemble. Pour the marinara or passata sauce into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Arrange the shells, seam up, in the baking dish, over the marinara sauce.
- Bake. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Next, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve hot with a salad on the side.
Notes
- Do not overcook the shells. Since the shells are baked for about 20 minutes in a sauce, I recommend slightly undercooking them.
- Cook 2-3 extra shells. Jumbo shells are fragile, and some may break during cooking or filling. I recommend cooking at least 2 more shells, in case some break.
- Tweak the filling to your liking. You can add chopped sautéed mushrooms to the filling if you want to make it heartier.
- Top with vegan cheese! While I didn't add topping here, I highly recommend sprinkling some grated vegan cheese on top of the shells before baking. It's basically the icing on the cake, and your shell dish will taste even more satisfying!
- Garnish. Once baked, top with stuffed shells with chopped parsley or cilantro. It will add not only color but also flavor!