Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells With Spinach (2024)

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Learn how to make the best Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells with an unbelievable dairy-free almond ricotta and spinach mixture! Nobody will believe this is oil-free or vegan. It is the epitome of delicious comfort food!

VEGAN STUFFED RICOTTA SHELLS WITH SPINACH

We all needed a delicious dish to use up that fabulous Vegan Ricotta Cheese I just posted, right? Of course, I shared it on pizza, but my goal all along was for these Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells.

FAVORITE MEAL BEFORE GOING VEGAN

Without a doubt, one of my husband’s favorite dishes I used to make years ago before we went vegan, was stuffed ricotta shells. Now, of course those were dairy-filled and we haven’t had stuffed shells in almost 6 years now. It. Was. Time. Not only do these taste just like the dairy version but my husband absolutely loved them and said “this is fantastic!” He also suggested this was the perfect dish to impress guests with. Not only is it beautiful and colorful, but it is so good and filling. Hey, it’s pasta! I asked for any suggestions on changes and he said, “not a thing”. Then I had my daughter taste it, she gestured 2 thumbs up and said “super yummy!” so there you have it. Of course, when I had a taste, I was ecstatic at how delicious it was.

HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN STUFFED RICOTTA SHELLS?

First, make my Vegan Ricotta Cheese.

Next, make the pizza sauce (see directions).

Spread 1 cup of the sauce at the bottom of the baking dish.

Add the cooked spinach to the bowl of the ricotta cheese.

Mix the ricotta cheese with the cooked spinach, salt and Italian seasoning until it is well mixed like this.

Fill the pasta shells with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the ricotta mixture.

Spread the remaining 2 cups of sauce in and around the pasta shells. Drizzle the centers across all of the shells.Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.

Garnish with fresh basil. Devour and come back and tell me that isn’t one of the yummiest dishes ever!

I’m telling you, this dish is so filling, delicious and healthy. Yet, it is totally vegan and oil-free!

Next time guests come over, prepare this dish. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser both visually and for making very happy tummies.

This dish is the very definition of comfort food. You know me and comfort food go hand in hand. Speaking of comfort food, have you tried this Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake?

MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES

Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo
Garlic Kale Pesto Pasta
Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Creamy Chili Sauce with Zucchini, Spinach and Pasta
20 Minute Alfredo
Pimento Cream Sauce
Creamy Vegan White Wine Sauce

Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells

Brandi Doming

5 from 47 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Yields 4 servings (4 jumbo stuffed shells)

Ingredients

16 jumbo pasta shells
10 oz package fresh spinach (do not use frozen!)
3 cups (720g) of my homemade pizza sauce (you'll have to double the recipe, see NOTE)
1 batch of my homemade ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
fresh basil for garnish

NOTE

I used my homemade pizza sauce for this because it really has so much more flavor than jarred marinara and only takes 5 mins to make, but use what you like, knowing that the dish will take on the flavor you choose. If using my pizza sauce, you'll need to double the recipe and will be left with 1 extra cup of sauce and just use that for a pizza or another pasta dish.

Instructions

First, make the ricotta cheese. You will need a day in advance for this or to start soaking the almonds in the early morning to make this for dinner the day of.
Add 5 quarts (20 cups) water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and the pasta shells. Give it a stir and cook until almost aldente, about 9 minutes. You want the shells just slightly undercooked since they will finish cooking in the oven and don't want them mushy or falling apart.
Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water and set aside for a minute.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and get out a 9x13 baking dish.
While the pasta is boiling, add the spinach to a large pan over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring constantly until it is just wilted-you don't want to overcook it, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cooked spinach to a strainer and let it cool a couple of minutes. Pick the spinach up with your hands and squeeze to strain the excess water, trying hard to get as much out as you can.
Add the ricotta cheese to a large bowl with the spinach, Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to mix very well.
To the baking dish, add 1 cup of the pizza sauce and spread it out across the bottom. Stuff all the shells with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the ricotta mixture carefully and place into the dish, giving a bit of space in between each one.
Spoon the remaining 2 cups of sauce in between and around the edges of the shells and a drizzle of it over the center of the shells (see photo). This allows the beauty of the shells to still be seen but still soak up some of that yummy sauce.
Place a piece of foil over the dish and bake for 30 minutes until piping hot and bubbly. You won't technically see the bubbling, but you will hear it. Remove and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

Prep time does not include the soaking of the almonds for the ricotta cheese.

Tried this recipe?Tag @thevegan8brandi on Instagram and use tag #thevegan8!

Keyword vegan stuffed ricotta shells, vegan stuffed shells with spinach, vegan almond ricotta cheese, dairy-free ricotta

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Comments

Kayla Osness
February 13, 2020 at 1:26 am
Thank you so much for this recipe! My daughter is dairy free and I haven’t made vegan cheese till i made these. The whole family enjoyed this recipe and will be making it often. I so have a question though. Can I make a double batch of the cheese and freeze it or freeze the completed recipe? How do i freeze this properly so it reheats well?
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  February 13, 2020 at 5:12 am
  SO happy to hear it was such a hit Kayla! I’ve honestly never tried freezing the cheese, I always just make it fresh! I’m not sure how it would freeze. I know it would become very hard of course, so if you try it, just make sure to let it thaw completely in the fridge and then it might need another run in the food processor to bring it back to its original texture. That is what I would try!
  Reply
Alisa D Simonson
February 15, 2020 at 8:30 am

Brandi, you never cease to amaze me. I made a double batch of these for my family of 7 for Valentine’s day and it was such a hit! The kids all raved and requested them for future birthday dinners. They proclaimed them five stars. Then my omni husband got home from work and ate like, 8 of them and said they were amazing. I actually used jar sauce bc of time but would love to try your sauce next time. I bet it would really take this recipe to the next level. Thanks for creating such amazing recipes!
Reply
Raquel
June 6, 2020 at 1:41 am

I always come back to this recipe. It is unreal. The ricotta really tastes like ricotta. I personally think the ratio of just 16 shells is not for me and only uses about half the box. I like a higher pasta to ricotta ratio – plus I just need more pasta to fill me up! I find the recipe stretches farther to more meals if you aim to use up most of the box. Therefore I boil a whole box and just add a little of the ricotta stuffing into each. So the ricotta is just an accent rather than getting a huge mouthful of it! I also throw on the extra sauce because I like things saucy! Made this way, my husband and I have enough to eat throughout the week and it’s still delicious!
Reply
Linda
August 4, 2020 at 12:40 am
Brandi, I’m going to make this for hub’s birthday and use whole grain lasagna noodles for roll-ups. Have you ever tried that? I’m guessing I would cook it the same amount of tine and covered like the shells? We love your recipes!
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Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  August 5, 2020 at 6:30 am
  Hi Linda! I haven’t, but yes, I imagine it would work just as well as long as the sauce covers it so it doesn’t dry out!
  Reply
JW
August 6, 2020 at 5:02 am

Great. Even my non-vegan mom loved it.
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  August 6, 2020 at 7:03 am
  Wonderful!
  Reply
KBD
October 2, 2020 at 4:43 am

Amazing! Will definitely make it again and again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Reply
Marcella
December 1, 2020 at 2:11 am

Best thing I’ve ever made. You absolutely must make these. Jaw dropping good
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  December 1, 2020 at 10:38 pm
  Aww yay! Wow, that’s awesome to hear!
  Reply
Jen Savage
December 10, 2020 at 3:19 am

This is so delicious! I still can’t get over it. The leftovers actually tasted even better! It’s like all the flavors got together & had a party in the fridge. Lol! So incredibly good! It was well worth the effort (the silly shells kept slipping out of my hands!) & I will definitely make this again!
Reply
Connie
December 29, 2020 at 5:33 am

Made this tonight and my Italian husband and I LOVED it!!! It was perfect!!! I only had cashew vegan yogurt so I added a tiny bit more salt and some more vinegar. Thanks so much—we really appreciate it!!!
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  December 29, 2020 at 8:29 am
  Yay, that is so awesome to hear!!
  Reply
Marsha
January 13, 2021 at 10:14 pm

This recipe is a huge favorite. The stuffed shells are always a big hit. One question – Can these be frozen? My daughter is due with her second child in about six weeks and I’d love to make a batch ahead to be reheated and enjoyed whenever.
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  February 21, 2021 at 10:14 am
  Marsha I’m so sorry I missed this! I’ve never tried freezing them, but I believe it should turn out ok!
  Reply
Kristin Shepherd
February 21, 2021 at 4:35 am

My family was completely blown away by this dish! The ricotta is to die for. A new family favorite for sure.
Reply
Tracy
February 22, 2021 at 4:14 am

This is everything! It’s easy. It’s filling. It’s pretty. And it is the most delicious dish ever!
Make it ! You will be very happy
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  February 23, 2021 at 1:59 am
  Thanks so much Tracy!
  Reply
Natalie
August 29, 2021 at 4:33 am

Loved this recipe so much we used it for our wedding. It was a hit with non-vegans, they didn’t know it was vegan and really enjoyed it. Which was a huge relief trying to make everyone happy while not having animals on the menu, which was important to me. Thank you!!
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  August 29, 2021 at 7:56 pm
  Woohoo! Love hearing that!
  Reply
Eric
March 13, 2022 at 9:15 pm
How big are those pasta shells when dry and when cooked?
Reply
Eric
March 20, 2022 at 8:31 am

Even my hardcore carnivore dad seemed to luv this! It was even more delicious the day after so next time, I’ll try to resist eating til 1 to 2 days after baking. The ricotta cheese would’ve been superb in vegan lasagna…. Definitely one of my fave recipes now.
Reply
Abby Fitzgerald
October 16, 2022 at 11:59 pm

I just made this tonight. That ricotta reminds me of my husband’s Italian grandma’s recipe. (I did add chopped fresh parsley to the ricotta to mimic hers). Hands down one of the best things I have made from your site. Oh, I also added some chopped artichokes in with the ricotta mixture because I had some to use up. Yum!
Reply
- brandi.doming@yahoo.com
  October 17, 2022 at 7:29 pm
  Wow, that is wonderful it was such a hit, thank you Abby!
  Reply

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