Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Sage
Vegan stuffed shells filled with lemony tofu ricotta, roasted butternut squash and spinach, baked in a silky squash sauce and topped with crispy sage.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Serves
- 6
Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Sage is a vegan dinner recipe made with butternut squash, butternut squash, olive oil. It takes 90 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 491 calories, 24 g of protein and 8 g of fiber.
One tray of roasted butternut squash does two jobs here. Half gets mashed into a garlicky tofu ricotta with spinach, and the other half is blended with broth and soy milk into a creamy sauce, so you don't need cashews or store-bought vegan cheese. Squeeze the spinach hard and press the tofu well so the filling stays thick and scoopable. Sage fried in olive oil goes on at the end, and you drizzle its oil over the top.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb454 gbutternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 1 medium squash total, split between filling and sauce)
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil, for roasting
- 12 oz340 gjumbo pasta shells (check the label to make sure they're egg-free)
- 14 oz397 gfirm tofu, pressed for 10 minutes and patted dry
- 5 oz142 gbaby spinach
- 3 tbsp15 gnutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp31 gfresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp2 gfresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- ½ tsp1.2 gblack pepper
Sauce
- 1 lb454 gbutternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1½ cups360 gvegetable broth
- ½ cup122 gunsweetened soy milk
- 2 tbsp10 gnutritional yeast
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, peeled
- 1 pinch0.2 gground nutmeg
- ½ tsp3 gsalt, plus more to taste
Topping
- 3 tbsp41 golive oil, for frying sage
- 16 4 gwhole fresh sage leaves
- ¼ tsp0.5 gred pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
Kit: rimmed baking sheet, large pot, 9x13-inch baking dish, blender, food processor or large bowl and potato masher, small skillet
Tips
- Press the tofu and squeeze the spinach thoroughly. Extra water makes the filling slump and thins the sauce as it bakes.
- Cut the squash into even cubes so it all roasts at the same pace. Cubes with some browning give both the filling and the sauce a deeper, sweeter flavor.
- A small cookie scoop or a zip-top bag with one corner cut off makes filling the shells much faster.
- If the sauce thickens too much in the oven, loosen it with a few tablespoons of hot broth poured around the edges before serving.
Swap ideas
- Kale (stems removed, finely chopped and wilted) instead of spinach
- Gives a sturdier, more earthy filling that holds its texture better if you reheat leftovers.
- Pumpkin puree (1 cup in the filling, 1 1/4 cups in the sauce) instead of roasted squash
- Skips the roasting step and saves about 30 minutes. The flavor is a bit less caramelized.
- White miso (1 tbsp) blended into the sauce
- Adds a salty, cheese-like depth. Cut the sauce salt back to a pinch.
- Toasted chopped walnuts sprinkled on top with the sage
- Adds crunch and a toasty note that goes well with the squash.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
491kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.4 g 12%
- Sugars
- 6.2 g
- Sodium
- 818 mg 36%
- Potassium
- 1092 mg 23%
- Calcium
- 596 mg 46%
- Iron
- 6.1 mg 34%
- Vitamin C
- 41 mg 46%
- Vitamin B12
- 15.81 µg 659%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Squash, winter, butternut, raw, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Pasta, dry, enriched, Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate, Spinach, raw, Nutritional Yeast Seasoning by BRAGG (fortified; legacy USDA Branded Foods entry as reproduced by NutritionValue.org), Lemon juice, raw, Garlic, raw, Sauge, fraîche (values from the Anses Ciqual 2017 table, as reproduced by laurentberta.com). No fresh sage entry exists in USDA FoodData Central., Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve, Soymilk, original and vanilla, with added calcium, vitamins A and D, Spices, nutmeg, ground
Method
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss all 2 lb of squash cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, then spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, flipping once halfway, until fork-tender and browned at the edges, 25–30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375°F when the squash comes out.
While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the shells 2 minutes less than the package says, so they're pliable but still firm, usually 9–10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water so they stop cooking, and lay them apart on an oiled tray so they don't stick together. Expect a few to tear; the box has more than you need.
Put the spinach in a colander and pour a kettle of just-boiled water over it, or wilt it in the empty pasta pot for 1–2 minutes. Once it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and chop it finely.
Make the filling: crumble the pressed tofu into a food processor, or into a large bowl if mashing by hand. Add half the roasted squash, the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, grated garlic, chopped sage, 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Pulse or mash until it looks like thick, slightly grainy ricotta. Stir in the spinach, then taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
Make the sauce: blend the rest of the roasted squash with the broth, soy milk, nutritional yeast, whole garlic cloves, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp salt until completely smooth, about 1 minute. It should be pourable, about as thick as heavy cream. If it's too thick, blend in a splash more broth.
Spread about two-thirds of the sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each shell with a heaped 2 tablespoons of filling, about 28–30 shells in total, and nestle them open-side up in the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over and between the shells.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the tops of the filling are lightly set, 10–15 minutes more.
While the shells finish baking, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry the whole sage leaves in a single layer until they darken slightly and stop sizzling, 30–60 seconds. Lift them onto a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Save the oil.
Let the shells rest for 5 minutes. Top with the crispy sage, drizzle with the sage oil, and add red pepper flakes if you like.
Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20 minutes, or microwave with a splash of broth. You can also assemble the dish without baking it and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or freeze it tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, covered, at 375°F for 50–60 minutes, then uncover for the last 10. Fry the sage fresh right before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage?
- Each of the 6 servings has 24 g of protein, 8 g of fiber and 491 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage take to make?
- 30 minutes of prep and 60 minutes of cooking, so 90 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage ahead?
- Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20 minutes, or microwave with a splash of broth. You can also assemble the dish without baking it and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or freeze it tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, covered, at 375°F for 50–60 minutes, then uncover for the last 10. Fry the sage fresh right before serving.
- What can I substitute in vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage?
- Kale (stems removed, finely chopped and wilted) instead of spinach — gives a sturdier, more earthy filling that holds its texture better if you reheat leftovers.. Pumpkin puree (1 cup in the filling, 1 1/4 cups in the sauce) instead of roasted squash — skips the roasting step and saves about 30 minutes. the flavor is a bit less caramelized.. White miso (1 tbsp) blended into the sauce — adds a salty, cheese-like depth. cut the sauce salt back to a pinch.. Toasted chopped walnuts sprinkled on top with the sage — adds crunch and a toasty note that goes well with the squash..
- Does vegan butternut squash stuffed shells with tofu ricotta, spinach and sage contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 29, 2026 ·Italian-American