Move over, lasagna. My cheesy vegan pesto stuffed shells are in town and they’re takin’ over. Jumbo shells stuffed with homemade basil pesto & herby tofu ricotta, then slathered in a ragu style sauce makes for the most deliciously comforting pasta dish you didn’t even know you needed until now.

cheesy pesto stuffed shells : a love story

You guys, I even impressed myself with this recipe. It’s 100% addictive and checks all the boxes for an easy weeknight meal, or a show-stopping dinner party entree. It may look ornate and fancy, but with just a little effort (and maybe a couple glasses of wine), these cheesy pesto stuffed shells make for the perfect pasta dish. They’re:

• elegant, but simple
• cheesy, saucy, and so comforting … AKA all the good things
• delicious af
• able to be made ahead of time
• freezer friendly

I’m totally in love and I think you will be, too! Grab a glass of wine and let’s get to cookin’ the best cheesy vegan pesto stuffed shells!

how to make stuffed shells

I’m a sucker for pasta, and these stuffed shells are no exception to that. Unlike lasagna where all the ingredients are stacked and the everything’s just slippin’ and slidin’ all over the place when you serve it, these jumbo shells are literally the PER-FECT *insert chef’s kiss* vessel for holding in all that cheesy, pesto-y, saucy goodness. Here are some of my tips to make the best stuffed shells:

1. Salt your pasta water. Don’t be shy. We want these shells swimming in a sea of salt, okay? I cannot stress this enough. Your pasta is the foundation of this dish. No matter how delicious the sauce and the pesto and tofu ricotta is, if the pasta is bland, then consider the whole dish royally f*cked.
2. Please…for the love of god, do not over-cook your shells. Make sure that when you boil your shells, you cook them until they are very al dente. I recommend cooking them a minute less than the recommended time on the package directions. If you cook the shells too long, they’ll tear when you try to fill them, and they’ll be mushy after you bake them.
3. Take the time to make the pesto and tofu ricotta. I provided you with a recipe for both. The pesto recipe is classic and straight-forward, but tastes way better than any store bought pesto – vegan or not. As for the tofu ricotta…just trust me on this. If you’ve never had tofu ricotta before and you’re all, “I dunno if I’m gonna like tofu ricotta. I hate tofu. How is tofu supposed to be ricotta, ew”, let me make a believer out of you. It’s light, creamy, and so smooth!

i can’t have the pine nuts in the pesto sauce. what do i do?

Whether you’re allergic, don’t like the flavor, or just don’t want to pay the kinda steep price for pine nuts, there are some really great alternatives! I recommend sunflower seeds, cashews, or almonds. I’ve also made pesto with walnuts and pumpkin seeds, and it’s tasted delicious as well! Honestly, most nuts or seeds can replace pine nuts in a pesto recipe!

make ahead & freezer-friendly

You know the drill. We are in the thick of rainy winter season. We’re still recovering from the craziness that comes with the holidays. We can’t be bothered with cooking, and dishes, and unnecessary cleanups.

That’s where this make-ahead and freezer-friendly pasta comes in, my friends. Here’s how to store and reheat my cheesy pesto stuffed shells:

• To make ahead and refrigerate: These stuffed shells can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To make them ahead of time, simply make the stuffed shells according to the directions, but stop before baking it. Cover tightly with saran wrap, or even better, store it in an oven-safe, airtight pyrex. When you’re ready to bake it, cook according to the directions!
• To freeze : I have no idea what took me so long to jump on the freezer-meal train, but let me tell you … I frickin’ love a good freezer meal! To freeze these stuffed shells, prepare them, but stop before baking. Cover tightly with foil, or store in an air-tight, oven safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy, bake them uncovered at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Although I don’t think it’ll last this long, if stored properly, your stuffed shells should keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.

are you in love?

If you love my cheesy pesto stuffed shells as much as I do, I wanna hear about it! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!

Til next time, friends!

XOXO!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Cheesy Vegan Pesto Stuffed Shells

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Move over, lasagna. My cheesy vegan pesto stuffed shells are in town and they're takin' over. Jumbo shells stuffed with homemade basil pesto & herby tofu ricotta, then slathered in a ragu style sauce makes for the most deliciously comforting pasta dish you didn't even know you needed ... until now.

Author: Ashley

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Italian-Inspired, Vegan

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Tofu Ricotta

• 1 - 14 oz package extra firm tofu, drained of excess liquid and crumbled
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt + more to taste

Basil Pesto

• 3 packed cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
• 1 cup olive oil
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Stuffed Shells and Sauce

• 14 oz jumbo stuffed shells
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ LB vegan sausage
• 2 - 28 oz cans fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1½ cups vegan mozzarella shreds, divided
• Fresh basil, for serving
• Vegan parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Tofu Ricotta

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the ingredients until nice and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place in a large bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.

Basil Pesto

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the ingredients until nice and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place ½ cup of pesto in the same bowl with the tofu ricotta. Set the rest aside.

Stuffed Shells and Sauce

1. Cooked shells until barely al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add shallots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add vegan sausage and crumble into bite size pieces with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Cook until the sausage is browned, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low and add crushed tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. In the large bowl with the tofu ricotta and ½ cup pesto, add 1 cup mozzarella shreds and mix to combine well.
6. To assemble, ladle ¾ of the prepared sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Working with one pasta shell at a time, carefully spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into each shell, placing the shell into the baking dish as you go. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella over the shells, then the rest of the sauce. Last, spoon the remaining pesto over everything. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook uncovered until lightly browned and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan shreds. Enjoy!

3.5.3251