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    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Alisa's Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes»Stuffed Shells with Dairy-Free Spinach Ricotta Style Filling

    Stuffed Shells with Dairy-Free Spinach Ricotta Style Filling

    19
    By Alisa Fleming on April 11, 2023 Alisa's Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Pasta

    When updating our go-to recipe for dairy-free ricotta, I was reminded of my favorite dairy-free stuffed shells recipe. I initially made it over fifteen years ago, but we still love it as a base recipe. It’s delicious as is, but is also easy to modify, based on your taste or your pantry. Plus, it’s really quite simple. The steps might look daunting, but the spinach-ricotta style filling takes just minutes to blend up, and can easily be made ahead. From there, just stuff the shells, cover in sauce, and bake! It’s a comforting, yet nutritious Italian-American meal.

    Dairy-Free Stuffed Shells Recipe with Spinach-Ricotta Style Filling. Plant based, but option for meaty version, too. Easy, delicious, versatile comfort food. Gluten-free option.

    These Dairy-Free Stuffed Shells are a Versatile Dinner

    Don’t be afraid to toss other flavorful add-ins into these dairy-free stuffed shells. We like sun-dried tomatoes or fresh basil in the filling, and olives, diced carrots, or mushrooms cooked with the sauce. Below are some more modification options in the form of FAQs.

    Can I Use Fresh Spinach?

    You certainly can, but I recommend chopping it first. You can chop them as is if using baby spinach leaves, or remove the thick stems if using larger leaves.

    Can I Add Meat to this Recipe?

    These dairy-free stuffed shells are fairly high protein as is, thanks to the tofu. But you can definitely add meat for flavor and more protein. We really like dairy-free Italian sausage with this recipe. Both mild and spicy varieties are great, it just depends on your taste. I like to cook about 1/2 pound up and add it to the filling, but you can also simply add it to the sauce. Ground beef will also work well, but I would add some more salt and seasonings, to taste.

    Will the Filling Work in Manicotti Tubes?

    Definitely. Simply stuff the cooked pasta tubes just as you would with the shells. For ease, you might want to put the filling in a pastry bag, and use a wide hole to pipe it into the pasta.

    What Dairy-Free Marinara Do You Recommend?

    You are right to pay attention to the pasta sauce! Many brands of pasta sauce, even marinara, contain milk. Sometimes I make the Pantry Marinara or Roasted Tomato Sauce recipes from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. But when shopping for brands, we’ve been leaning on store brands. 365 Organic (at Whole Foods), Signature Select (at Albertsons/Safeway stores), and Good & Gather (at Target) are the ones we are liking most right now for taste, ingredients, and price.

    Dairy-Free Stuffed Shells Recipe with Spinach-Ricotta Style Filling. Plant based, but option for meaty version, too. Easy, delicious, versatile comfort food. Gluten-free option.

    Special Diet Notes: Stuffed Shells

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, added sugar-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

    5.0 from 7 reviews
    Dairy-Free Stuffed Shells
     
    Print
    Prep time
    15 mins
    Cook time
    35 mins
    Total time
    50 mins
     
    The Spinach-Ricotta Style Filling, can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
    Author: Alisa Fleming
    Recipe type: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian
    Serves: 5 servings
    Ingredients
    Spinach-Ricotta Style Filling
    • 1 (12- to 14-ounce) package extra-firm or firm tofu (not silken), drained
    • 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • ¼ teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
    • Pinch ground nutmeg
    • 1 sweet onion, diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
    • 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1½ teaspoons basil
    • Black pepper, to taste
    Stuffed Shells
    • 1 (24- to 28-ounce) jar dairy-free marinara
    • 1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (gluten-free, if needed)
    Instructions
    Spinach-Ricotta Style Filling
    1. Place about ¾ of the tofu in your food processor or blender. Add the nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and nutmeg and process until smooth.
    2. Remove the tofu mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining tofu and mash until it resembles ricotta.
    3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
    4. Squeeze excess liquid from the spinach. Add the spinach, cooked onions and garlic, oregano, and basil to the filling and gently stir to combine.
    5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    Stuffed Shells
    1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
    2. Cook the shells according to the package directions. Drain and rinse them under cold water.
    3. Pour enough marinara in a 9x9-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish to just cover the bottom.
    4. Stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture, and place them in the baking dish.
    5. Pour the remaining marinara over the shells.
    6. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
    7. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
    Nutrition Information
    Serving size: 7 shells + sauce Calories: 515 Fat: 18.6g Saturated fat: 2.5g Carbohydrates: 68.6g Sugar: 8.9g Sodium: 662mg Fiber: 7.6g Protein: 20.5g
    3.5.3229

    For More Dairy-Free Dinner Recipes, Get Eat Dairy Free!

    Eat Dairy Free - Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets
    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

    19 Comments

    1. Cathy on April 25, 2023 5:41 pm

      Took a while to make, but the effort was worth it! My daughter who is allergic to dairy had never had stuffed shells before. We thought these were delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on April 25, 2023 5:50 pm

        That’s wonderful! So glad you both enjoyed them and that she got to try something new!

        Reply
    2. Julie on April 18, 2023 2:26 pm

      I found adding 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice, and a half a block of smoked tofu (put through the blender) really kicked the flavour up a tick. I also added more nutritional yeast and a bit more than a pinch of nutmeg. I had a hard time keeping a spoon out of the mix I made for tonight’s supper! Even my dairy eating husband and daughter enjoyed it, and not just in a good “for dairy free” way.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on April 18, 2023 2:27 pm

        That’s wonderful Julie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing your successful modifications.

        Reply
    3. Leah on October 25, 2019 9:33 am

      Hi! Just curious if you have ever froze the leftovers? I plan to use gf noodles. Always a little worried how they will freeze. Thank you for your advice!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on October 25, 2019 10:37 am

        Hi Leah, I’m not a big fan of frozen tofu, but it might work okay in this recipe. I’d be a little more concerned about the gluten-free noodles though. Gluten-free pasta just doesn’t seem to store as well as wheat pasta – it dries our and/or breaks easily.

        Reply
    4. Susan M Lombard on December 24, 2018 3:14 pm

      This recipe is one of my families favorite, it is just awesome!! Add some vegan mozzarella on top towards the end to get a bit more of a cheesy Italian dish. They are also awesome the next day if you can keep everyone from eating them all.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 29, 2018 1:39 pm

        Wonderful! Thank you for sharing this great feedback Susan!

        Reply
    5. Maureen J on November 19, 2018 11:40 pm

      I loved the recipe! Thank you so much for creating it. It was delicious!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on November 23, 2018 7:40 am

        Glad you enjoyed it Maureen!

        Reply
    6. Nicole Dawson on September 12, 2018 1:17 pm

      I can’t tell you how long its been since I’ve devoured (yes, I mean DEVOUR) some stuffed shells. Probably since going vegan (like 8 years ago). I’ve got to change that and going to start with this recipe.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on September 17, 2018 8:18 am

        Yes, you do 🙂 I hope you get the chance to enjoy this dish Nicole!

        Reply
    7. Pingback: Oprah's Scrambled Tofu Recipe: A Healthy Favorite from Dr. Andrew Weil

    8. Natalie Ellis on May 6, 2018 11:08 pm

      Having some vegan dishes is super healthy and necessary!! I always have vegan meals at least twice a week.
      These vegan stuffed shells are truly a good choice for the week ?

      Reply
    9. Christine - Jar Of Lemons on May 3, 2018 7:26 am

      These seriously look heavenly! Oh my goodness. My family would really love these for dinner!

      Reply
    10. Kristina @ Love & Zest on May 3, 2018 6:12 am

      I do love a good stuffed shell recipe! These look like a great dinner option that the whole family will enjoy!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on May 3, 2018 6:38 am

        Definitely a family-friendly one.

        Reply
    11. Rachel on May 2, 2018 4:06 pm

      This looks so indulgent but it’s quite deceiving! All the ingredients are so good and make it super healthy! I can’t wait to try and sub with tofu!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on May 3, 2018 6:37 am

        I hope you get the chance to enjoy it Rachel!

        Reply

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