High-Protein Vegan Stuffed Shells (Plant-Based Ground + Tofu Ricotta)

Indulgent but high in protein. Creamy tofu ricotta folded with crispy plant-based ground, stuffed into jumbo shells, baked under marinara and melted mozzarella. 

This is our go-to when we want pasta night to feel a little more special than spaghetti. Jumbo shells stuffed with a creamy tofu ricotta that's been folded together with crispy The Better Butchers Italian Ground, tucked into a baking dish with marinara, and topped with melty mozzarella. The filling is genuinely creamy and savoury, with no spices needed beyond what's already in the ground and the marinara.

It tastes indulgent but it's quietly packed with protein. Between the Italian Ground (pea protein + oyster mushroom blend) and the tofu ricotta, every serving lands well over 20g of plant protein. That's why these shells actually keep you full instead of leaving you hungry an hour later, and why they fit just as well in a weeknight rotation as on a Saturday dinner table.

The tofu ricotta does the heavy lifting here. Inspired by Sam Turnbull's method, we sauté onion and garlic until they're sweet, then blend them with tofu, lemon, and nutritional yeast until creamy. Then we stir in fresh basil, parsley, and the crispy ground at the end. It's a five minute side quest that makes the whole bake taste like it came from a much fancier kitchen.

This one is great for entertaining and even better for leftovers. The shells reheat beautifully and the flavours deepen overnight, so make it Saturday and you've got dinner sorted for Monday too.

High-Protein Vegan Stuffed Shells

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 50 minutes
• Serves: 5 servings
• Diet: Vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, high-protein (gluten-free option)

Ingredients

Pasta and sauce:

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells (340g / 12oz) — cook the whole box; some will break and you want backups
• 1 jar marinara sauce (about 700ml / 24oz)

Italian Ground:

• 1 package of The Better Butchers Italian Ground
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Tofu ricotta:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt

To stir into the ricotta:

• ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

To top:

• 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
• ¼ cup vegan parmesan (or extra mozzarella)
• Fresh basil and parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the shells. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the entire box of jumbo shells for 2 minutes less than package directions. They finish cooking in the oven, and a few will inevitably break, so cooking the whole box gives you backups. Drain, rinse gently with cool water, and lay them out on a sheet pan in a single layer so they don't stick together.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. Brown the Italian Ground. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Crumble in the ground and press it down flat. Leave it untouched for 3 minutes so the bottom develops a golden crust, then break it up and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Start the ricotta. Heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown.
5. Blend the ricotta. Break the tofu into four pieces and mash it a bit with your hands or a fork to get it started. Add to a food processor (preferred) or blender along with the sautéed onion and garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. If it's too thick to blend, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
6. Fold in the ground and herbs. Transfer the ricotta to a large bowl. Stir in the cooled crispy Italian Ground along with the chopped basil and parsley. Mix until evenly combined.
7. Assemble. Spread about 1½ cups of marinara across the bottom of your baking dish. A 9x13 works, but a pie plate or smaller round dish is great too: pack the shells in snugly so they hold each other upright. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into each shell and nestle them open-side up into the dish. Spoon the remaining marinara over and between the shells, getting sauce into all the gaps.
8. Top. Scatter the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, then sprinkle the parmesan over that.
9. Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. For a browned cheesy top, broil for 2 minutes at the end (watch closely).
10. Rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley, and serve straight from the dish.

Tip: Cook the entire box of shells even though you only need 22 to 24. A few will tear or split during boiling, and pasta is the cheapest insurance against running out of stuffable shells. The extras are also great chopped into a soup the next day.

Why This Works

• Indulgent but high-protein. Between the Italian Ground (pea protein + oyster mushroom blend) and the tofu in the ricotta, every serving lands well over 25g of plant protein. The kind of pasta night that doesn't leave you snacking again at 10pm.
• The ricotta is the secret weapon. Sautéing the onion and garlic before blending makes the whole filling taste sweet and deep instead of raw and harsh. Don't skip that step.
• Make-ahead friendly. You can assemble the entire dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day ahead. Bake straight from cold, adding 10 minutes to the covered time.
• Crowd-pleaser. Scales easily to two 9x13 dishes for a dinner party or family gathering.

Substitutions & Notes

• Gluten-free: Sub gluten-free jumbo shells (they exist, look for them in the GF pasta aisle). Cook 1 minute less than package directions since GF pasta gets softer faster. Everything else in the recipe is already gluten-free.
• Add spinach: Stir 1½ cups of fresh baby spinach (wilted in a hot pan for 30 seconds and squeezed dry) into the ricotta with the herbs.
• No food processor or blender? You can mash the tofu by hand with a fork or potato masher. The texture will be more crumbly and less creamy, but it still works.
• Parmesan-only top: If you can't find vegan parmesan, just use extra mozzarella. The mozzarella is doing the melt; the parmesan is bonus crunch and flavour.
• Lasagna pivot: Use the same filling and ricotta as the layers of a vegan lasagna. The filling makes enough for one large 9x13 lasagna.
• Spicier version: Stir ½ tsp red chili flakes into the marinara before assembling for a gentle background heat.

Make this on a Saturday and you've got Sunday lunch sorted too. If you make it, tag us. We love seeing the cheese pull mid-spoon.

More Recipes to Try

• How to Cook Plant-Based Ground Meat: The Complete Guide
• Quick and Easy Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
• 5 Easy Vegan Weeknight Dinners with Plant-Based Ground

Shop The Better Butchers Italian Ground →

Inspired by the Quick Vegan Tofu Ricotta from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken by Sam Turnbull.