The original title for this recipe was Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Creamy Garlic Béchamel Sauce. Once I said it aloud, I heard how ridiculous it sounded and realized I needed to work harder on coming up with succinct recipe titles.
In my defense, the original title is an incredibly accurate description of the recipe and it does sound incredibly delicious, which it is.
Regardless of the recipe name, let’s talk deets of what’s inside this recipe. This recipe is the ULTIMATE comfort food: it is cheesy, creamy, chewy, and garlicky, and is a must make during the fall/winter/holiday season!
Why you’ll love these Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Fall comfort food: Giant pasta shells get stuffed in a cheesy pumpkin filling, topped with a creamy white sauce, and then baked in the oven. It’s the epitome of comfort food for cold weather and pumpkin season!
Texture, texture, texture! The contrast of the chewy baked shells with the creamy filling and sauce is so good you won’t be able to put your fork down! This is one of my favorite secret tofu recipes – most people would never suspect it’s an ingredient!
Crowd pleasing holiday dish. I have made this for two Thanksgiving dinners, one Christmas dinner, and one fall dinner party, and this dish is always a hit. It usually gets the “I can’t believe this is vegan” line, and according to many of you, the results are the exact same in your homes :)
Surprisingly easy. Despite this being a crowd pleasing and impressive dish fancy enough for the holidays, it’s actually quite easy to assemble and make. If you watch the video down below or on Youtube, you’ll be able to see that it’s really easy and doesn’t require any special cooking skills.
Watch! How to make Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells.
Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells | brilliant vegan recipe 🍂
Ingredients + Methods for this Recipe
Jumbo Pasta Shells
You can find jumbo pasta shells at many grocery stores (though not all). I’ve found them at Whole Foods, Vons, and Ralphs, as well as stores like Target and Walmart. The large shell size, in combination with the decadent filling and sauce, mean that just a few shells will satisfy your cravings!
Cook the shells in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. When the shells are done cooking, drain them and toss them with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking and drying out.
Pumpkin Ricotta Filling
This filling is so tasty yet so easy to make and comes together in less than 10 minutes. It starts with my homemade vegan tofu ricotta cheese. I use a variation of this cheeze in a number of my recipes, from lasagna to savory tarts.
The tofu ricotta requires extra firm tofu, nutritional yeast, and a few dried herbs and seasonings to achieve the traditional texture of traditional ricotta. The nice thing about it is you don’t have to press the tofu – you just need to pat dry excess water before crumbling it up. The other nice thing is that the food processor does all the work for you. All you do is add the ingredients to a food processor and pulse repeatedly until slightly smooth but still a little chunky.
Traditional ricotta is fairly bland in taste, but my vegan version is so flavorful that you’ll want to eat it on its own! (many readers do just this).
Then, the tofu ricotta gets folded into a pumpkin filling, which features canned pumpkin purée, freshly grated nutmeg, salt, pepper, and vegan parmesan cheese for that extra cheesy goodness. The pumpkin and nutmeg bring a slightly sweet and slightly earthy flair that is irresistible! The slightly sweet yet spicy aroma of freshly grated nutmeg will truly delight your taste buds, so please don’t skip this step!
Garlic Béchamel Sauce
The final component of this delicious dish is the creamy garlic white sauce. I’ve made my fair share of plant-based white sauces, and this recipe is by far my favorite. It’s so creamy and flavorful that you can eat it by the spoon. You know a dish is going to be amazing when you can eat two of the components by the spoon.
Start off by cooking some onions in extra virgin olive oil until nicely softened and lightly browned, then add the garlic until very fragrant. The cooked onions and garlic are what take this sauce from an ordinary Béchamel sauce to an extremely flavorful, garlicky Béchamel sauce. After they are done cooking, you’ll add all-purpose flour and stir to incorporate, similar to making a roux.
And then to make this white sauce super creamy without using dairy-based milk or cream, I use canned “lite” coconut milk. It’s creamy enough to make this sauce luxurious and decadent, but light enough that the sauce won’t turn out too heavy or thick. The flour will help thicken the sauce very quickly, and it should take just 2 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a blender, add salt and pepper, and blend until smooth and creamy! Keep in mind that if you taste this sauce before blending, it will taste quite coconutty. But, once you add the salt and pepper and blend it up in a blender until creamy, I promise it loses that coconut taste!
To assemble the dish, pour about 1/2 cup of the Béchamel sauce onto the bottom of a 13×9-inch (33×23 cm) rectangular pan (a 3 liter pan).
Stuff 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin ricotta filling into each jumbo shell. Arrange the stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Then drizzle the remaining sauce on top of the shells. Finally, scatter some chopped sage leaves on top for that earthy, woodsy perfect-for-fall flavor!
Bake in the oven at 350°F (or 175°C) for 25 minutes until the shells are lightly golden!
Tips for making this recipe
Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. I always recommend cooking pasta in well-salted water because that’s what will bring some flavor to the pasta. Obviously, the filling and sauce will have lots of flavor, but you want every little bite to be well seasoned, even the parts of the pasta that don’t have filling.
Also, don’t cook the shells past the al dente stage – they should still have a bit of bite to them. Since the stuffed shells will get baked in the oven for a bit, you definitely don’t want them to be too soft, or else the end dish could be a bit mushy.
Use freshly grated nutmeg. I know I sound like a bougie food snob channeling her inner Ina Garten when I say this, but freshly grated nutmeg really does make a big difference and adds so much more depth and intensity of flavor compared to pre-ground nutmeg. Plus, fresh nutmeg pods have an excellent shelf life when stored properly, about 3-4 years, so it’s an inexpensive purchase compared to ground nutmeg, which will lose its potency much quicker.
The key to the Garlic Béchamel sauce is allowing the onions to cook down in the olive oil until softened and lightly browned. It adds so much rich flavor and notes of umami.
Don’t overbake the stuffed shells. The shells will start to dry out if they’re baked too long, so keep an eye on them and use an oven thermometer if you have one!
For serving options, since this dish is so creamy and indulgent, I prefer to serve it as a side dish as opposed to a main course. But, it’s also so delicious that many people prefer it as a main dish. However you serve it, I guarantee that your guests will never know it’s vegan and/or will be very pleased.
How to make this recipe ahead of time
You can make the tofu ricotta several days in advance, and the pumpkin ricotta filling 1-2 days in advance. You can also make the garlic Béchamel sauce several days in advance.
Then, on the day of serving, you can (1) cook the shells, (2) stuff the shells with the pumpkin ricotta filling, and (3) bake the dish.
To reduce cooking time on the day of, you can even stuff the shells, arrange them in the baking pan, and store covered in the fridge for up to one day. Then, bring to room temperature before baking in the oven for 25 minutes.
How to make homemade pumpkin puree
If you can’t find canned pumpkin puree, you can make your own pumpkin puree using fresh pumpkin!
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the pumpkin in half, from stem to end, using a rocking motion as you rotate the pumpkin. You’ll need a very sharp large knife. If it’s still too difficult to cut, pop the whole pumpkin in the microwave for 1 minute. Try again, and if you’re still not able to cut it, microwave for another 30 to 60 seconds.
- When you’ve sliced the pumpkin, pull the halves apart – they should separate at the stem. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and as much of the stringy bits you can.
- Lightly sprinkle the flesh with kosher salt. Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake pumpkin until the flesh is tender and the skin is pulling away from the flesh, 40-45 minutes (dependent on size).
- Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a food processor and blend until very smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days, or you can freeze it for several months.
Other incredible pumpkin recipes
- Thai Pumpkin Soup: creamy texture, warm spices, gourmet Thai flavor
- Pumpkin Pancakes: wholesome yet indulgent, a perfect fall breakfast
- Pumpkin Curry with Tofu: an Indian-inspired curry packed with protein and fiber.
- Pumpkin Bread: moist, tender, and even fluffy with so much pumpkin spice flavor!
If you give this Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 26 to 30 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Tofu Ricotta (recipe below)
- 1 cup (240-250g) canned pumpkin purée*
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (50-60g) vegan parmesan cheese* (optional but recommended)
- Garlic Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)
- 15 fresh sage leaves, sliced or torn up
Tofu Ricotta
- 1 (14-ounce/400g) block of extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup (20g) nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lemon, (zested and 1 tablespoon juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic Béchamel Sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (13.5 ounce/400 mL) can “lite” coconut milk**, can shaken or stirred well
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and generously salt the water. Add the jumbo pasta shells and cook according to the box instructions until just al dente (do not overcook!), then drain well.
- Transfer the cooked pasta shells to a baking sheet and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175°C).
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the Tofu Ricotta. Drain the block of tofu and dab away the excess water with some paper towels. Place the tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse repeatedly until the texture is relatively smooth but still a little chunky, similar to the texture of ricotta cheese.
- Make the pumpkin ricotta filling. In a large bowl, combine the Tofu Ricotta, pumpkin purée, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste, and vegan parmesan cheese (if using). Fold the ingredients together using a silicone spatula. Taste the filling and adjust the seasonings accordingly, adding more salt, pepper, or nutmeg as needed. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the filling into each jumbo pasta shell, and set aside.
- Make the Garlic Béchamel Sauce. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add onion and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the onion is softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour, whisking constantly for a minute until well incorporated. Gradually pour in the lite coconut milk in stages, whisking after each addition to prevent clumps, and then cook for 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Blend the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a blender and add the 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce for seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as desired.
- Assemble the dish. Pour 1/2 cup of the Garlic Béchamel Sauce in the prepared baking dish (enough for a thin layer on the bottom of the pan). Arrange the stuffed jumbo shells on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the shells. Scatter the chopped fresh sage leaves on top of the sauce. Bake the stuffed shells for 22-25 minutes, or until the pasta shells are lightly golden. Serve warm.
Notes
Hi Nisha
I am wanting to make this recipe but I cannot buy jumbo pasta shells in Australia
Do you have any suggestions for a substitute?
I love your recipes thanks so much
Vicki
Hi Vicki! Too bad you’re not able to find jumbo pasta shells where you are. This recipe could potentially be converted to a lasagna recipe, though we haven’t tried it ourselves.
First, make sure you use cooked lasagna noodles, not the “no-boil” noodles- since there’s not enough liquid-y sauce to cook the noodles. Also, since we haven’t tried this lasagna ourselves, we aren’t sure how much filling it would make, but we suspect less than a 13×9” pan. We’d say a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet would work really well for the amount of filling, or a square baking pan.
Best of luck!
Another fabulous recipe. Served this at Christmas and my guests couldn’t believe it was plant-based. The tofu ricotta is so rich and creamy. Absolutely divine. Can’t wait to make this again. Next time I’ll make a double batch in the hopes there are leftovers.
Lovely, Karishma! Thanks for making the recipe and sharing with your guests!
What an amazing dish! I’m fully plant-based and my husband is almost there! I can’t say enough on how light and flavourful this dish is. My husband had seconds and so did I. Because I’m celiac, I had to use gluten-free rice shells. The dish still turned out amazing. If you weren’t vegan, you wouldn’t know the difference. Thanks for such as amazing dish!!
Dale
Ontario, Canada
BTW, I shared this recipe with friends and told them to follow you on Instagram 🥰
Awesome, Dale. Thanks for making the recipe and sharing it with loved ones! :)
I made this for my teenage nephew last Christmas (who is not vegan, but has a beef and dairy allergy). He has requested I make it again this year! I didn’t love the tofu for ricotta, so I’m gonna try it with cashews instead this time. It was a lot of work, but ‘tis the season, otherwise, loved it!
Aw, we’re so happy to hear he requested the shells again this year! Thanks for making the recipe and leaving a thoughtful review, Emily!
This is so delicious, creamy, and the perfect fall comfort food. One small drawback is that it took me way longer than 10 minutes to prep, plus I couldn’t find jumbo shells, so I spent like 45 minutes stuffing stupid medium-sized shells. 🙄 I had some leftover pasta, vegan parmesan, and pumpkin so I made it again tonight. It’s a work night, so no stuffing shells for me; I just layered the noodles with the pumpkin-ricotta mix, and it was just as good. My son hates all things vegan but judged it “actually very good”, and my vegan daughter who doesn’t really like vegetables (I am trying to fix that by using your recipes) loved it, so it’s a win. Thank you!
Aw, sorry it didn’t go as expected, but we’re happy the recipe was a hit!
yeah, if they didn’t have big shells, I probably would have gone with manicotti or just rolled the filling in some halved lasagna sheets – glad the different pasta worked out for you.
This was a huge hit at my Thanksgiving table! I used lite coconut milk as the recipe instructs and I didn’t have any issues with a strong coconut flavor. It was perfectly savory and complemented the pumpkin ricotta perfectly. I topped mine with breadcrumbs for an extra crunch. My friend has also made this recipe but as a lasagne instead of stuffed shells and she said it was fantastic.
Molly, So good to hear everyone loved this recipe! :)
Made this dish last year for Thanksgiving. It was so delicious it’s a repeat for this year. Happy Thanksgiving
Wonderful, thanks for sharing Cathy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Has anyone tried freezing this? Need small batches for 2 of us. I haven’t made it yet. Looks good, just really big for 2 small eaters
Hi Robin, unfortunately none of these components really freeze well besides maybe the sauce that could be blended after thawing. Could you try to halve the recipe?
This was just incredible, it tasted amazing on the first try and I will make it again. I didn’t blend the Béchamel sauce because I was short on time, but it still came out perfect. The mix of flavors in the ricotta is especially great. The only change I will make next time is serving it with a starter, since I ignored that it’s listed as a side dish and wanted to make it the whole meal :).
Awesome, Tamara. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Fantastic!! (As always!) I forgot and used the whole can of pumpkin. Still tasted great!
I think no one would believe this was vegan! Thanks for another amazing recipe. And one that will be a huge hit at any holiday event!
We’re glad you enjoyed the stuffed shells, Meagan! :) So lovely to hear others enjoyed the recipe as well.
How much pumpkin are you suppose to use??
1 cup (240-250g) canned pumpkin purée!
I’m such a fan of your channel and blog Nisha, I’ve tried dozens of your recipes and they always turn out so good. I’ve made these shells three times now and they’re just unbelievably good! I can’t attest to the coconut taste because I use oat milk for my roux, but the dish overall is SO GOOD! Thank you for always putting out such tasty recipes :)
Awesome, Victoria. Thanks for your lovely comment and for taking the time to review!
Soo amazing!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Colin!
Unfortunately this came out tasting only of coconut milk! Must’ve been this one particular brand (new to me) and it just overpowered every other flavour. Silly me for not tasting the sauce before slathering the shells in it. Will try again with a different milk because everything else screams delicious!
Sorry to hear that, Lynda! Did you use canned lite coconut milk? Glad you liked it otherwise!
These were excellent. Even the non vegans in my house loved it. I made it it without the parm too.
Cameron, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review, we appreciate it! Glad it worked just fine without the parm :)
I made this lovely dish for our Friendsgiving dinner last weekend – it was a big hit for vegan and non-vegan eaters. The fresh nutmeg and sage were definitely worth adding – not only for flavour, but aroma while I was in the kitchen.
I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the crushed red peppers – I have an intolerance for any hot peppers – sad for me.
I made the ricotta 2 days before and completed the rest of the recipe the morning of the dinner and reheated an hour before dinner.
I was asked to share the recipe with the other 6 families attending the dinner – which is everyone – would definitely make this again.
Hi Erin, I love to read comments like these, thank you for sharing and taking the time to write such a kind review! I also love the smell of fresh nutmeg and sage, yum!
Interesting recipe, with one exception: I hate pumpkins. Can it be substituted with other vegetables (no sweet potato either)?
Hi Lucy! We haven’t tried any other squashes so I can’t guarantee success. However, if you’d like to try, I’d suggest using either kabocha squash or butternut squash.
Amazing!!! Will definitely be making this again! Tastes like Fall! 😊
Hi Cassie,
What a great description! I wear a sweater and light a candle when I eat this dish, it’s so cozy! Thanks for the lovely review :)