Vegetable Stuffed Shells

Vegetable stuffed shells are jumbo pasta shells filled with lentils and vegetables in a tangy marinara sauce. Then the jumbo shells are covered in marinara sauce and baked. Top with vegan parmesan cheese for an added bonus. You will love this vegetable stuffed shells recipe.

Last week, I cooked a batch of vegan stuffed shells for the boys when I went to a party. When I came home, the pan was empty, and they even did the dishes. Yes, they ate every last stuffed shell in the pan and didn't leave any for me. Since they loved the stuffed shells, I decided to make vegetable stuffed shells with lentils to see if they liked them as much. Sometimes, I can persuade my kids to eat veggies, especially if I creatively present them. Veggie stuffed shells were a big hit at my house!

Jump to:

• Meal Prepping
• Stuffed Shells Ingredients
• Stuffed Shells Ingredient Substitutions
• Other Recipes for Lentil-Vegetable Filling
• How to Make Vegan Stuffed Shells
• How to Fill the Pasta Shells
• Recipe FAQS
• Tips
• More Vegan Pasta Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

For this veggie stuffed shells recipe, I used a combination of lentils and veggies in a rich homemade tomato sauce. Of course, I didn't tell the crew all the veggies I packed inside the shells. Instead, I made the jumbo stuffed shells, served them, and waited for their reaction.  And guess what? Again, the pan was empty! 

Meal Prepping

One of the best aspects of this recipe is I prepped everything beforehand. First, I chopped all the veggies while making my Hungarian Mushroom Soup for the week.

Then, I took a shortcut by buying Trader Joe's steamed, prepared lentils and store-bought marinara sauce.

Next, I sauteed the veggies, added the lentils, stuffed the shells, and baked the stuffed shells for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Shells Ingredients

• Yellow Onion: Yellow onions have a nice balance of astringency and sweetness in their flavor, becoming sweeter the longer they cook.
• Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic cloves whenever possible.
• Mushrooms: I used sliced cremini mushrooms.
• Summer Squash: Summer squash is similar to zucchini but yellow and lighter in flavor.
• Zucchini: Zucchini is in season and vibrant this time of year. It brings a freshness to the lentil vegetable filling.
• Organic Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are canned tomatoes that are fire-roasted over an open flame to accentuate their flavor. They taste sweet and subtly smoky right out of the can instead of bitter and acidic like most standard canned tomatoes.
• Tomato Paste: A little tomato paste gives the dish a deep richness.
• Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco.
• Cooked Brown Lentils: I buy steamed brown lentils at Trader Joe's.
• Oregano: Although sometimes difficult to find, I prefer fresh oregano.
• Basil: I grow fresh basil in my kitchen, so I prefer the freshest herbs when cooking any Italian recipe.
• Jumbo Pasta Shells: Jumbo Shells are large, graceful, concave shapes inspired by the shape of seashells.
• Vegan Marinara Sauce: Vegan Marinara Sauce is a delicious homemade sauce I use for Italian recipes. I make large quantities ahead of time and freeze it to use all year round.

Stuffed Shells Ingredient Substitutions

• White onion is often used to replace yellow onion in recipes. It is similar in flavor.
• Minced garlic: Use ½ teaspoon of jarred minced garlic in place of each clove.
• Garlic flakes: Also called dehydrated (or dried) minced garlic, use ½ teaspoon of garlic flakes in place of each clove.
• Granulated garlic: Use ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic in place of each clove.
• Choose portobello or shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini.
• Instead of using summer squash, use double zucchini or vice versa.
• In a pinch use ketchup if you don't have tomato paste.
• Use Yondu with water instead of vegetable broth.
• Cook brown lentils or used drained, canned brown lentils.
• When cooking with herbs, keep a general rule of thumb regarding the ratio of fresh to dry: Because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less if they're dry. That means the correct ratio is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
• If you can't find jumbo shells, use the lentil filling for lasagna, stuffed tomatoes, or stuffed bell peppers.
• Jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce woks as well as homemade sauce.

Other Recipes for Lentil-Vegetable Filling

For example, the lentil and veggie filling can be used for a variety of other recipes. Since I had a leftover filling, I baked a few potatoes and filled each potato for lunches the next day.

Another idea is to use the lentil and veggie filling for layers in a vegan lasagna. Furthermore, the filling freezes well for other recipes. 

How to Make Vegan Stuffed Shells

To bake the jumbo shells for veggie stuffed shells, first cook the noodles for 9 minutes. Then, rinse the noodles in cold water, separate them, and dry them before filling.

The noodles, however, may feel firm and a little undercooked. But don't worry; the noodles finish cooking in the oven, so don't worry about undercooked pasta. 

Now, make sure the sauteed vegetables and lentils are cool because filling the noodles requires touching both the noodles and the filling to maximize the number of vegetables and lentils in each shell.

Instead of oil, pour some pasta sauce into the bottom of my 9x13 inch glass pan to prevent sticking. 

How to Fill the Pasta Shells

This is a fun activity for the kids to help cook. So, get everyone involved, and let the stuffing begin. If you want to add vegan cheese, feel free to do so.

I chose to skip the cheese, though, since I served the meal with vegan parmesan cheese. 

Let's say the rest is a piece of cake. Cover the veggie stuffed shells with the remaining pasta sauce, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

I made veggie stuffed shells, vegan garlic bread, and a simple salad with vegan ranch dressing. I served vegan parmesan cheese, as well. 

Let's say the boys didn't know the difference between the vegan stuffed shells recipe and the vegetable stuffed shells recipe. Did I trick them? My mom hid veggies in my food when I was little, so I guess it's okay. 

Recipe FAQS

Tips

• If you cook the shells too long, they'll tear when you try to stuff them, and the pasta will end up mushy since it continues to cook as the stuffed shells bake. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shells from boiling water and transfer them to a bowl of cool water to stop the cooking.
• This recipe can either be baked right away and served stuck right into the freezer uncooked or pre-bake the dish and then freeze it.
• To reheat non-casserole baked pasta dishes, such as stuffed jumbo shells, place the shells in an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 375 degrees until the shells' internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• You don't need to defrost the stuffed shells before baking. Remove any plastic wrap on the stuffed shells and replace the aluminum foil. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-60 minutes until the pasta bake is bubbling.

This vegetable stuffed shells recipe is easy to make and serves a crown from one delicious pan.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

If you love this vegetable stuffed shells recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you.

📖 Recipe