Dairy free pesto ricotta stuffed shells
These vegan stuffed shells are full of a delicious dairy free pesto ricotta made from white beans, cashews and nutritional yeast. Perfect for a warm, cozy evening. Chock full of fiber and protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
This recipe is
- Vegan & Vegetarian
- Dairy free
- High in protein
- Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner
- Great for a dinner party
Ingredients
- Jumbo shells
- Marinara sauce
- Great northern beans – This is what we’re using as the ricotta base. You could also sub for a block of tofu. This is a soy free version. I like how creamy the beans get.
- Raw cashews – This adds a nice creamy texture and richness to the vegan ricotta.
- Fresh basil – This ricotta is going to be a little different, because we’re flavoring it with basil to make it taste like pesto.
- Olive oil – Adds smoothness to the ricotta
- Garlic
- Nutritional yeast – Adds a rich, cheesy flavor
- Lemon juice – Adds a nice citrus balance to the earthy taste of the beans.
Recipe tips
Try to cook your shells al dente, so they don’t fall apart too much. Once they’re cooked, put them back in the pot and cover them with cold water. This will prevent them from sticking, until you’re ready to stuff them.
It helps to use a piping back to stuff the shells. If not, use the smallest spoon you can find and stuff them with about 1-2 tablespoons of filling.
Substitutions and modifications
For an oil free version
You can always make this without oil. Instead of oil, add ⅓ cup of unsweetened oat milk.
For a nut free version
You can substitute hemp seeds, sunflower seeds or tofu for the raw cashews, or just leave them out.
Storing and making ahead
To store this after cooking, put in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last for about 3-5 days.
Make this a freezer meal
This is a fantastic make ahead, freezer meal. Do steps 1-4 of the recipe. Instead of baking it, cover it with a freezer friendly lid, or a few layers of tin foil and store in the freezer.
When you’re ready to bake it, take it out of the freezer, keep the aluminum foil on, and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until it’s cooked all the way through.
More recipes to try
Vegan stuffed shells (with pesto ricotta)
Ingredients
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1 package vegan mozzarella shredded cheese (optional)
Vegan pesto ricotta
- 2 cans great northern beans
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup basil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the jumbo shells al dente. Rinse with cold water. Place cooked pasta in cool water and set aside. This prevents the noodles from sticking while you get everything together1 box jumbo pasta shells
- In a food processor or blender, add all of the ingredients in the 'Vegan pesto ricotta" section. Blend until smooth-ish.2 cans great northern beans, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup basil, 1 tsp salt, ½ lemon, ½ cup raw cashews, ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Grab a baking dish and cover bottom of dish lightly with a layer of marinara sauce. Stuff the shells. Cover the shells with as much marinara sauce as you'd like. Top with vegan shredded cheese.1 jar marinara sauce, 1 package vegan mozzarella shredded cheese
- Cover baking dish with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cook covered to melt the vegan cheese
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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