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stuffed pasta shells in butternut squash sauce

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta, fresh spinach, sage and walnuts nestled in a creamy butternut squash sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Weeknight Dinners
Servings: 4
Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

  • butternut squash sauce:
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 butternut squash cubed and peeled
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • For the filling:
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 2 cups spinach loosely packed
  • 1 TBS fresh sage chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the shells:
  • 12 jumbo shells
  • 10 fresh sage leaves for garnish
  • fresh . parmesan for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and brush a 9 by 13" baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the shells according to package directions and rinse under cold water when finished.
  • To make the filling: Bring olive oil to medium heat in a large pan and sautee spinach until cooked about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
  • To make the butternut squash sauce: heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan (same pan) and add the onions, cook until soft and translucent about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cubed squash season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg tossing to coat, add the stock and bring to a simmer, cover and cook 15-20 minutes until soft. Let slightly cool and transfer to a blender, blend until smooth and adjust seasoning to taste if needed. pour into baking dish about half way up the edges.
  • To make the stuffed shells: Combined cooked spinach, ricotta, walnuts and sage into a bowl and whip until fluffy and combined. Add a generous tablespoon of the mixture into each shell and place into the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles and shells start to get golden.
  • Serve with fresh parmesan and lay a fresh leave of sage over each shell.