When I first went vegan, Cookie & Kate's Best Vegan Lasagna was the meal that convinced my husband that vegan food could be really delicious. Neither of us could believe a cheese-less lasagna could be that good, but it was, so I made it once a week for probably a month or two and even made it for my family's Christmas Eve meal and everyone loved it.

So you should know I don't say this lightly - these stuffed shells are even better!

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Because these are so delicious (I could eat the almond ricotta with a spoon), they make a nice special-occasion or date-night meal, but they're also so easy to make that they are a perfect weeknight meal.

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Almond Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells

~4 servings | Prep + Cook Time: ~1 hr (30 minutes active)

Ingredients

For the almond ricotta:

2 cups slivered blanched almonds

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (plus more to taste)

2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of about one medium-sized lemon)

1/2 – 3/4 tsp sea salt

1 dash garlic powder

1/2 – 2 cups vegetable broth or water*

2-3 Tbsp vegan pesto*

For the shells:

16 jumbo shells

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups spinach (loosely packed)

½ cup dairy-free mozzarella cheese shreds*

24oz jar of your favorite marinara*

Toppings (optional): Chopped fresh parsley, vegan parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Make the almond ricotta. Add all ricotta ingredients (starting with just ½ cup of vegetable broth or water and ½ tsp of salt) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Continue adding ½ cup of broth at a time until you have a well-pureed mixture. Season to taste - add salt, garlic powder or pesto for more flavor, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, lemon juice for acidity. Transfer mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and add shells and a pinch of salt. Cook according to package instructions.
4. While the shells are cooking, saute the spinach. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach to the skillet with a small pinch of salt and pepper, cover and let cook until wilted (2-5 minutes). Use kitchen shears to chop the spinach roughly and add the spinach and mozzarella to the ricotta mixture. Stir all ingredients to combine.
5. Once the shells are done, drain and let cool slightly. Pour ½-¾ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish to lightly cover the bottom of the dish, then stuff shells with generous spoonfuls of filling.
6. Arrange shells split side up in the pan and then top with remaining marinara. Bake for 35 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Top with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper and parm. Serve shells immediately, on their own or with a simple side salad and/or garlic bread.

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*Recipe notes

1. Vegetable broth adds some more flavor, but is not necessary if you prefer to use water.

2. I found vegan pesto paste on Amazon Fresh, but if you can't find it and don't want to make your own, you could use fresh basil instead.

3. Vegan mozzarella is optional, but I haven't tried this recipe without it. I use Daiya brand.

4. I use Rao's brand marinara sauce. It's more expensive, but is absolutely worth it! You could also make your own tomato sauce if you have a recipe you love.

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