I started working on The Jewish Vegan because I find a lot of joy cooking and baking, and I wanted others to feel less stressed being in the kitchen. So, you can imagine, I really love a recipe that is as fun to look at and make as it is delicious to eat!
That’s certainly the case for these vegan Pesto & Ricotta Stuffed Shells! I’m a big fan of stuffed shells because 1) they’re really easy to make and 2) they’re really fun! And I never realized how easy it was to make them your own, but you can really stuff anything you want into them as long as you have the base recipe down. Use my basic ricotta recipe and then throw in whatever you’d like: veggies, vegan meat alternatives, chopped nuts – honestly, the sky’s the limit!
This recipe is great for getting the whole family (especially kids!) involved – it can be a little messy as you spread the pesto on the outside of the shell and stuff the pesto and ricotta mixture in each of them as well. The pesto on the outside is really important to ensuring you have a soft shell after baking – without the sauce your shells will turn hard!
I also highly recommend sprinkling some vegan parmesan on top of your shells. You can make your own homemade parmesan for this recipe or use a store-bought vegan one. If you’d like to make your own, give my recipe a try. It’s very easy to make as well and takes just 5 minutes pulsing all of the ingredients in a food processor until fine and crumbly:
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1.5 tsp salt
- .25 tsp garlic powder
You can store the parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks. One note is that it’s very important for your food processor to be fully dry before you add your ingredients, or your parmesan will turn to mush instead of a fine crumble texture.
Sprinkle some on before baking, and then let each person add their own after baking!
Like I said before, there are so many ways you can make this recipe your own. If you’d like some more ideas for stuffed shells, check out my original stuffed shell recipe here. And for more ways to use the pesto recipe, try my pesto toast or give it a go with some gnocchi. If you end up with leftover parmesan, you can use it on a vegan Caesar salad or try it on top of soups like this blogger’s tomato bisque.
I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
Vegan Pesto & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12-16 jumbo shells
Pesto Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup cashews raw, unsalted
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3½ cups kale leaves stem removed
- salt & pepper to taste
Ricotta "Cheese"
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1 cup cashews raw, unsalted (to be boiled)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp yellow miso paste optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the jumbo shells according to the package directions. Once cooled enough to touch, separate them so they won't stick together on a plate. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the cloves of garlic in tin foil or on a small baking pan and drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 minutes.
- In another pot, boil the 1 cup cashews for the "ricotta" sauce for 15 minutes.
Pesto Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients for the pesto and place in your blender (cashews, olive oil, roasted garlic, parsley, kale, and lemon juice).
- Blend everything until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides or stir the mixture to ensure it is evenly blended and smooth.
- Taste the pesto and add salt and pepper to taste.
"Ricotta" Instructions
- On a plate, use a fork to smash the tofu completely. It will be completely crumbled when done. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the boiled cashews and the ½ cup water into a blender (you don't need to rinse the blender between using it for the pesto and the "ricotta" sauce) and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and yellow miso paste (if using) and blend until combined. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cashew sauce and to the bowl with the tofu and combine. Mix thoroughly and add more salt and pepper, to taste.
Shell Assembly
- Add about ¾ of the pesto sauce to the ricotta and mix well to combine. Taste to see if any flavor adjustments need to be made.
- Spread a layer of remaining pesto sauce on the outside one of the shells, then fill the shell with the ricotta mixture. Place in a baking pan and repeat until the pan is filled with shells (or you run out of shells).
- Spread additional sauce on the outside of the shells that are visible as needed and in the spaces in between the shells. The gaps do not need to be filled with sauce, but you should try to make sure that exposed shells have some sauce on them.
- Sprinkle vegan parmesan cheese over top of the shells, if desired.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.
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