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Vegan Stuffed Shells
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Vegan Stuffed shells with ricotta and spinach

This is so flavorful and delicious you won't believe it's VEGAN!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Vegan Stuffed Shells, Vegan Ricotta, San Marzano marinara
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Vegan Ricotta

  • 1 1/2 Cup Raw Cashews Soaked
  • 1 14 oz Organic Tofu
  • 3 T Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 T Cider Vinegar
  • 2 T Nutritional Yeast
  • 1+ T Dried Basil
  • 2+ t Dried Oregano
  • 1 T Garlic Powder
  • 2 t Salt
  • 1 t Pepper
  • 2 Bunches Fresh Spinach
  • 6 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Vegan Parmesan

San Marzano Marinara

  • 1 28oz Can whole San Marzano Tomatoes
  • 1 15oz Chopped Italian Tomatoes
  • 8 Cloves Garlic Diced
  • 1 Small Onion Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Veggie Stock
  • 1 T Dried Basil
  • 2 t Dried Oregano
  • 1 T Organic Cane Sugar
  • Salt and Pepper

1 Box of Large Shell Pasta

1 Cup of Panko Breadcrumbs

Instructions

Vegan Ricotta

  • Soak the raw cashews for at least 4 hours, or boil some water, pour over the cashews and let soak for 30 minutes.
  • Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor along with the tofu, lemon juice, cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend together until smooth and creamy. I added a little water at the end because it seemed a little dense.
  • Place in a container and refrigerate for around an hour to allow the flavors to come together.
  • Add the garlic to a pan with a little olive oil and lightly saute.
  • Chop the fresh spinach and add it to the garlic and cook the spinach down. I added a little salt and pepper as well.
  • Once the spinach is cooked down, add it to the vegan ricotta and then add the vegan parmesan. Stir to mix well.

San Marzano Marinara

  • Add the garlic and onion to a large pot with a little olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic until they are brown - BUT DON'T BURN THE GARLIC!
  • Add in the San Marzano tomato's, the italian diced tomato's, and the veggie stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and begin to simmer.
  • Add the basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
  • You can begin to breakdown the San Marzano with a spoon, but I also used an immersion blender to help break up the tomato's. I did not blend until smooth - I wanted some chunks of tomato's in my sauce.

Cook the shells per the instructions. Leave al dente since they will also cook in the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Take a 9 x 13 pan and place a small layer of marinara sauce on the bottom.
  • Once the shells are cooked and cooled enough to handle, using a spoon, fill each shell with the spinach ricotta. Place the filled shells in rows in your 9 x 13.
  • Once all the shells are filled, ladle the marinara over the rows until well covered.
  • Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs over the shells and drizzle lightly with some olive oil.
  • Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Serve with a little vegan parmesan on top and ENJOY!