Vegan Stuffed Shells are a delicious high-protein pasta dinner that’s egg & dairy free! With garlic, tofu, spinach, and spices this stuffed pasta is great to meal prep. A fantastic vegetarian holiday recipe, or dairy-free meal for any special occasion!
These delicious pasta shells are stuffed with a high-protein mix of plant-based ingredients, spices, and fresh herbs. Smothered in my favorite 5 Ingredient Tomato Sauce, these shells are always a hit. Great to make ahead for dinner too… just prep, refrigerate, and bake when you want them.
These vegan stuffed shells are here to bring ALL the cozy vibes to your table, this is some serious vegan comfort food right here! I’ve always loved stuffed shells- either making them at home or enjoying them at a restaurant.
There is something so magical about stuffed pasta loaded with vegetables, herbs, and plant-based cheese together as one. This veganized version uses tofu ricotta in the filling, and let me tell you, you won’t miss the cheese one bit.
This Vegan Stuffed Shells Recipe Is:
- Creamy
- Bright
- Herby
- Vibrant
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Vegan and High Protein
- A great plant based and dairy free holiday recipe
What’s In These Dairy Free Stuffed Shells?
- Stuffed Shells (or Conchiglioni if you’re fancy!) – these stuffed shells are large enough to hold a LOT of this amazing filling!
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- Tomato Sauce: I made homemade, but if you don’t have the time this AMAZING jarred tomato sauce is my favorite – its sweet, flavorful, and fresh! This marinara sauce is vegan, gluten free, and so flavorful!
- Silken Tofu: OK truth time, I use Mori-Nu shelf-stable silken tofu for this recipe as I always keep some stocked in my pantry. It’s light, blends into a smooth silky texture, and has a shelf-life of about a year. WIN! You can buy a 12 pack cheap and I use it weekly in soups, curries, and for crispy baked tofu.
- Garlic Powder: Also a major pantry staple ingredient that gets used in our house daily! I love this garlic powder and add it to a lot of recipes that I would use fresh garlic in too.
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
I was absolutely amazed and the texture that soft tofu gives to the filling in these shells! It is a super high protein alternative to ricotta, and takes on any flavors or spices that you put in to it. When layered with pasta, rich homemade tomato sauce, and vegetables, you can’t go wrong with tofu.
Easy Vegan Holiday Pasta Recipes
This tofu stuffed shells recipe is a fantastic meal for the holidays – add it to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table and enjoy. This will be one crowd pleaser recipe everyone will love. These simple make-ahead dishes are fantastic to prep ahead of time – just assemble the lasagna a few days before, cover and refrigerate, and heat before serving!
For a sauce, I use my absolutely BEST 5 Ingredient Tomato Sauce… its so good I could eat that stuff plain with a spoon. But it tastes great in these shells, tucked in between noodles and filling. The tomato sauce gives the shells a nice sweetness and welcome acidity in each bite.
How Do I Make Stuffed Shells with Tofu?
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shell noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, add the tofu, parsley, spinach, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Use a fork to mash all the ingredients together until the mixture resembles a ricotta-like texture.
- Grease a large 13×9 baking dish, and begin to layer the ingredients. Start with a thick layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Carefully handling the cooled shell pasta (so the shells don’t break), place a large scoop of tofu filling in each one. Place them in the baking dish in a single layer. Add the remaining tomato sauce around the shells, making sure to pour some over the tops as well.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until sauce is bubbling up on the sides.
- Remove from oven, and enjoy!
One of the BEST Pantry Staple Pasta Recipes
This silken tofu stuffed shells recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards. You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand! Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate. I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple recipes on TheHerbeevore.com here. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
What Do I Serve With These Tofu Stuffed Shells?
Vegan Garlic Knots Recipe (Egg Free, Dairy Free)
Pot Luck Greek Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette (Vegan, Gluten Free, Party Recipe)
Family Recipe: Refreshing Cucumber Salad
Herb Focaccia Bread Recipe (Egg Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)
Oven Garlic Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free Option)
Get The Same Ingredients I Used For This Dairy Free Pasta Shells Recipe!
I got the fresh produce for this recipe from my Misfits Market box – they sell all organic produce at a very discounted price, and purchase right from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every month and love the seasonal variety. You can get $10 off your first box by clicking here!
As always, if you make this vegan and dairy free tofu stuffed shells recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Vegan Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12 ounces stuffed shell noodles also known as conchiglioni
- 4 cups marinara sauce or other sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 12 ounce package silken tofu
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 2 cups chopped spinach I used frozen
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shell noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, add the olive oil, tofu, garlic, parsley, spinach, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Use a fork to mash all the ingredients together until the mixture resembles a ricotta-like texture.
- Grease a large 13x9 baking dish, and begin to layer the ingredients. Start with a thick layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Carefully handling the cooled shell pasta (so the shells don't break), place a large scoop of tofu filling in each one. Place them in the baking dish in a single layer. Add the remaining tomato sauce around the shells, making sure to pour some over the tops as well.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until sauce is bubbling up on the sides.
- Remove from oven, and enjoy!
Notes
Save Money on Organic Groceries!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market - they sell all organic produce at a super discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every month and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here! If you think organic produce is too expensive... think again, and give Misfits Market a look!Nutrition
Or tag me @theherbeevore in your photo on Instagram!
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My Italian grandmother…bless her soul would greatly agree this was a winner