5 Ingredient Vegan Stuffed Shells

These 5-ingredient spinach and ricotta stuffed shells is a quick and simple vegan pasta dinner that is perfect for a busy weeknight or a special occasion. These easy stuffed shells provide a comforting, wholesome, flavorful treat and make the perfect 30 minute meal the whole family will enjoy.

This post was originally published on May 18, 2019 and updated on May 22, 2023 by Elena Szeliga. 

These vegetarian stuffed shells with spinach are frequent fliers in our home and they're likely to become the same in yours. The rich, creamy tofu ricotta, spicy marinara, savory vegan parmesan and comforting pasta make this meal a hit every single time...especially with the cook, because of how easy and quick they are to make.

Easy Stuffed Shells With Spinach And Ricotta

Five ingredients, 30 minutes, no chopping, no slicing, no cutting. You can even freeze them and have them ready for your next surprise guest or busy evening.

You can make this up in a large casserole dish or darling little single serve ramekins for each person. Whatever you choose, the recipe stays the same.

Chewy large pasta shells with crunchy baked rims stuffed with a creamy mixture of spinach and vegan ricotta cheese floating in rich marinara sauce and sprinkled with amazingly addictive vegan parmesan cheese… Sounds like the best vegan comfort food you can imagine.

Taking into account their impressive looks it’s amazing how easy it is to make these vegan stuffed shells.

Is Pasta Actually Healthy?

Yes! Yes, it is. Commence the happy dancing. Pasta is actually good for you!

There's no need at all to avoid it in your diet, contrary to popular diet fads. 

In fact, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as one of the world’s healthiest diets and pasta is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, making it a staple food that pairs perfectly with other healthy foods in this diet like vegetables and healthy fats.

Being a part of a well-balanced diet, pasta is a great source of carbohydrates that give your body energy. Carbohydrates are good but eating too much of them can lead to gaining weight. Dieticians recommend carbohydrates to make up to 65% of your daily calorie intake.

Pasta is the best for you when you pair it with protein-rich tofu, lots of vegetables packed with dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals and tomato-based sauces packed with antioxidants.

This is exactly the way this recipe is. It uses tofu ricotta cheese for plant-based protein, making the meal hearty, spinach for vegetables that has an extraordinary nutritious profile, and sugar-free marinara sauce (I recommend Cucina Antica organic marinara sauce or make your own if you have time).

Ingredients for Spinach Stuffed Shells

There is literally nothing easier than making these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells. All you need is 5 basic ingredients:

• garlic;
• spinach;
• vegan ricotta cheese;
• large pasta shells;
• marinara sauce.

I assume  you have olive oil, salt and pepper at home, so I don’t include them in the list.

Additionally, you can garnish the finished dish with vegan parmesan cheese.

How to Make Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

For quick instructions check this vegan stuffed shells web story.

Here's the trick to not having your pasta stick to the pan: put your layer of marinara in the pan first. Don't top the stuffed shells with sauce like a lot of people do.

First thing to do would be to make vegan tofu ricotta and vegan parmesan. It wouldn't take you longer than 5 minutes!

To start with the shells, preheat the oven to 180C or 350F and fill the pan (ramekins) with marinara sauce. Put it in the oven and let the sauce heat through for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente, per package directions (about 5-7 minutes).

Cook your spinach with a little garlic and drain well to remove excess liquid before adding tofu ricotta, salt and pepper to taste.

Once your pasta is cooked, you'll gently fill it with the creamy spinach ricotta filling you made up while the pasta was cooking.

Top the heated sauce with stuffed shells and bake until edges are golden brown, from 15 to 20 minutes.

When the shells are done baking you can sprinkle on your favorite vegan parmesan and enjoy.

Told you these stuffed shells were super easy!

Other Healthy Vegan Pasta Dinners

Are you sold on the delicious, nutritious pasta as part of your dinner now?

After you enjoy these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells, you'll be eager to enjoy more veggies, cheese, and pasta meals.

Pumpkin pasta with spinach and mushrooms is a super popular option! And healthy vegan fettuccine Alfredo is a vegan twist on a classic dinner.

And let's not leave out vegan mac and cheese and vegan pesto pasta for more family favorite vegan comfort foods turned vegetarian delights.

Cook’s Tips

• These stuffed shells with spinach can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat them, microwave them or warm in the oven. Don’t preheat, especially if you are using a glass casserole dish.
• Freeze the shells for up to 3 months. If freezing, better use an aluminum foil baking pan.
• Make a double batch of the filling and use it for vegan stuffed mushrooms.
• Use leftover vegan parmesan for eggplant lasagna or vegan cannelloni with asparagus.

Recipe Variations

• Use regular parmesan for a non-vegetarian version. Just FYI, Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian.
• You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Make sure to thaw it before cooking.
• Use gluten-free pasta or whole grain pasta for this recipe.
• Use dairy-free cashew cream cheese instead of ricotta.

MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Be sure to buy gluten-free jumbo shells.

MAKE IT QUICK: Make the ricotta spinach filling in advance, so the shells come together more quickly.

I created a video recipe to make things even easier for you. If you can’t see the video, disable your AdBlock for this page by clicking on the AdBlock button and selecting Don’t run on this page. Hope it helps!

What is your favorite pasta dinner? Leave a comment below! Don’t forget to give a star rating to this recipe if you like it!