Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Stuffed Shells
These vegan pumpkin stuffed shells are made with tofu pumpkin ricotta mixed with vegan sausage and kale then topped with a vegan pumpkin alfredo sauce and baked to perfection!
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Why make this recipe
This recipe is perfect for autumn family meals, dinner parties, Halloween, or Thanksgiving dinners. The vegan sausage and kale, give these stuffed shells extra plant-based protein and a great texture. The pumpkin alfredo sauce makes these shells extra creamy and delicious!
Traditional vegan stuffed shells with tofu ricotta are one of my family’s favorite meals, but in the fall, these pumpkin stuffed shells hit the spot.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Jumbo Pasta Shells – to stuff. Use gluten-free shells if necessary. (You can also use manicotti tubes, lasagna noodles rolled up, or thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant rolled up with the pumpkin ricotta in the middle).
For the pumpkin tofu ricotta
- Tofu – to make the base of your tofu ricotta. You will need 2 14 oz packs of extra firm tofu. (You can also use the high-protein tofu that comes in the vacuum-sealed packs, but you will need to add an extra splash of soy milk to get the right consistency).
- Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is a cheese-like flavored flaky powder that gives foods an umami flavor. You can find it in most large grocery stores or health food stores.
- Olive Oil – for a richer flavor.
- Salt – for flavor. (You can add more or less to suit your taste).
- Garlic -for flavor. I usually use fresh garlic, but you can use 1/2 tsp of garlic powder instead.
- Sage – or other fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or parsley for flavor. I usually use dried sage, but you can use fresh sage too. You won’t need as much fresh sage.
- Black Pepper – for flavor. Fresh ground black pepper is delicious and adds a little extra flavor.
- Soy Milk – or water to thin out the ricotta if needed to achieve the correct texture. You can use any type of plain-flavored plant-based milk you wish.
- Pumpkin Puree – I add a half can of pumpkin puree to the ricotta to give it an extra pumpkin flavor.
- Sausage – (optional, but recommended- sausage pairs nicely with the pumpkin flavor.) You can use any type of vegan sausage that you want. I usually use vegan sausage crumbles, tofu sausage, or seitan sausage.
- Kale or Spinach – this adds a lot of texture, color, and nutrients to the dish.
For the pumpkin alfredo sauce
- Pumpkin Puree – Use the other half of the can of pumpkin puree here. Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. You could also swap out the pumpkin for mashed butternut squash.
- Coconut Milk – I like to use a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream for the creamiest sauce. You can use low-fat coconut milk or 1 1/2 cups of any plain plant-based milk that you wish like soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk.
- Water – to thin out the sauce a little.
- Tapioca Starch – to thicken the sauce and give it a little bit of stretchiness. You can also use cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot. I find that tapioca starch has the best texture and doesn’t get gloppy when it cools as corn starch does.
- Spices – I like to use fresh or dry ground sage. If you don’t have sage, poultry seasoning will also work or you could add oregano or dried basil. I also love to add a few dashes of nutmeg to this sauce.
- Garlic Powder – or a clove of fresh minced garlic for flavor. You can also use onion powder instead.
- Vegan mozzarella, vegan bechamel sauce, or vegan parmesan cheese – to put on top of your stuffed shells. (optional).
Helpful tools
- A large casserole dish or lasagna pan to bake the stuffed shells in.
- A food processor to make the tofu ricotta.
How to make pumpkin stuffed shells
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Boil the shells
Step 1 – Cook jumbo shells in salted boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. (It’s better to slightly undercook them than overcook them. They will continue to cook a little more when you bake them).
Make the pumpkin ricotta
Step 2 – Drain and press the tofu to get out as much liquid as possible.
Step 3 – Add tofu, pumpkin, puree, garlic, sage, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, and pepper to your food processor. Blend for about 1-2 minutes until smooth. (Add a splash of plain soy milk if needed to make it a ricotta texture.
Cook the sausage and kale
Step 4 – Saute your vegan sausage in 2 tbsp of oil until heated through, then add finely chopped kale and stir frequently until the kale is bright green and wilted. (This will take about 3-5 minutes for kale or about 1 minute for spinach.)
Step 5 – Add the tofu ricotta to the sausage and kale mixture and mix well.
Make the pumpkin alfredo
Step 6 – Pour 1/2 can of pumpkin puree, a can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tbsp of starch, sage, salt, and nutmeg into a saucepan, and stir well.
Step 7 – Turn on the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil. Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer in the pan for 2 minutes stirring frequently.
Stuff and bake the shells
Step 8 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. It should be heated by the time you finish filling the shells. Pour half of the pumpkin alfredo into the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 9 – Fill the cooked jumbo shells with the tofu ricotta mixture (About 2 tbsp. in each shell) and place them into a large baking dish. (Hold the shell putting pressure on both ends so that it opens up to fill it).
Step 10 – Drizzle the remaining pumpkin sauce over the top of the stuffed shells.
Step 11 – Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes at 350° F (176°C).
Step 12 – Take the foil off and bake the shells for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly in the center. (I bake them uncovered at the end to make them a little crispy on the edges. If you don’t want that, you can bake them covered the whole time).
Pro Tips
- Slightly undercooking your shells will help to prevent them from breaking in the stuffing process.
- If the shells start to stick together, simply rinse them again in cold water or place them in a pan of cold water before stuffing them.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: These vegan pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container. They make great leftovers and hot lunches too!
Freeze: These pumpkin stuffed shells freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat a serving in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water to the baking dish, cover with foil, and reheat in the oven at 300° F for about 20 minutes until warmed through.
More fall recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
- Apple Baked Oats
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Orzo
Vegan pumpkin stuffed shells recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 16 oz package jumbo pasta shells, (gluten-free if necessary)
For the Ricotta
- 2 14 oz. packages extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1/2 can pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 splash soy milk, or water if needed to thin the ricotta
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, (for sauteing the sausage and kale)
- 2 cups vegan sausage, (or 2 links cooked and chopped small)
- 5 cups chopped kale, or 2 cups wilted spinach ( or swap for steamed broccoli if desired.)
Pumpkin alfredo sauce
- 1/2 can (7.5oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk, or coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, (or corn starch, potato starch, and arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon ground dry sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional)
Equipment
- large baking dish
- foil to cover the shells while baking
Instructions
Boil the shells
- Cook jumbo shells in salted boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. (It's better to slightly undercook them than overcook them. They will continue to cook a little more when you bake them).
Make the pumpkin ricotta
- Drain and press the tofu to get out as much liquid as possible.
- Add tofu, pumpkin, puree, garlic, sage, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, and pepper to your food processor. Blend for about 1-2 minutes until smooth. (Add a splash of plain soy milk if needed to make it a ricotta texture.
Cook the sausage and kale
- Saute your vegan sausage in 2 tbsp of oil until heated through, then add finely chopped kale and stir frequently until the kale is bright green and wilted. (This will take about 3-5 minutes for kale or about 1 minute for spinach.)
- Add the tofu ricotta to the sausage and kale mixture and mix well.
Make the pumpkin alfredo
- Pour 1/2 can of pumpkin puree, a can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tbsp of starch, sage, salt, and nutmeg into a saucepan, and stir well.
- Turn on the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil. Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer in the pan for 2 minutes stirring frequently.
Stuff and bake the shells
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. It should be heated by the time you finish filling the shells. Pour half of the pumpkin alfredo in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Fill the cooked jumbo shells with the tofu ricotta mixture (About 2 tbsp. in each shell) and place them into a large baking dish. (Hold the shell putting pressure on both ends so that it opens up to fill it).
- Drizzle the remaining pumpkin sauce over the top of the stuffed shells.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes at 350° F (176°C).
- Take the foil off and bake the shells for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly in the center. (I bake them uncovered at the end to make them a little crispy on the edges. If you don't want that, you can bake them covered the whole time).
Notes
-
- Slightly undercooking your shells will help prevent them from breaking in the stuffing process.
- If the shells start to stick together, rinse them again in cold water or place them in a pan of cold water before stuffing them.
- You can also top your pumpkin stuffed shells with vegan mozzarella, vegan bechamel sauce, or vegan parmesan cheese.
- Add the cheese halfway through baking if topping with shredded cheese.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Hello, could you please be more specific on the size of the can of pumpkin puree? Thank you!
You will need a 15 oz. can. (7.5 oz for the ricotta and 7.5 oz for the sauce.) Enjoy!
Can this dish be frozen?
Thanks!
Yes, you can wrap it air-tight and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thank you so much!
Pumpkin alfredo, that sounds like something I need to put on… well on something! Hmm, maybe throw in some avocado? Pumpkin guacamole? Is that a thing? Wheels are turning… this is a dangerous site, lol!
I was reading your email on our way home from church and thought this would be good with butternut squash. I’d just bought the butternut squash yesterday. I’m not vegan & need the protein so I used 3/4# of ground turkey & 1/4 ground beef. I’m allergic to sage so I cannot have sausage and I marjoram in place of sage.
I’m certain this would be delicious with pumpkin as it’s outstanding with butternut squash.
My Husband is Vegan-ish so I made his without the meat.
I love your blog & have made many of your recipes and they never disappoint!!
Butternut squash is a great replacement for the pumpkin. I’m so happy that you made the recipe work for you and that you both liked the stuffed shells!