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Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Vegan pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells with a smooth tofu-cashew filling and a creamy orange pumpkin sauce. Jumbo shells are baked until tender and topped with bubbling vegan mozzarella and fresh basil.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Jumbo pasta shells
  • 20 jumbo pasta shells Cook al dente before stuffing.
Vegan ricotta
  • 1 block (14 oz) firm tofu Pressed.
  • 0.5 cup cashew cream
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Vegan pumpkin sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut cream
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Toppings
  • 1 vegan mozzarella For topping, optional to suit preference.
  • 1 fresh basil For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Make vegan pumpkin sauce
  1. Sauté minced garlic in a Dutch oven until fragrant, about 1 minute with no browning.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, coconut cream, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, then stir to combine.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened and cohesive.
  4. Pour most of the sauce into the greased baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
Blend vegan pumpkin ricotta
  1. Blend pressed firm tofu, cashew cream, nutritional yeast, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until completely smooth, stopping to scrape as needed.
Stuff, assemble, and bake
  1. Stuff each cooked jumbo shell with the tofu-cashew ricotta and nestle them in the sauce in the baking dish.
  2. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells so they’re covered.
  3. Top with vegan mozzarella.
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375F until hot through and the mozzarella is bubbling at the edges.
  5. Garnish with fresh basil right before serving.

Notes

For the smoothest tofu ricotta, press the tofu well and blend long enough to fully eliminate any graininess. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; reheat in a 350F oven until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the pasta texture can soften and the sauce may separate. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free jumbo shells and cook them al dente according to package directions.