Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce
User Reviews
5
Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce
Description
Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce brings together roasted butternut squash, onion, and garlic blended into a creamy sauce that surrounds pasta shells filled with a seasoned mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses, garlic, and chopped spinach. The roasting of the vegetables develops their natural sweetness, while the herbs added to the filling provide mild aromatic notes. The pasta shells are boiled until tender yet firm and then half-cooked to avoid over-softening during baking. The assembled dish is baked in a buttered ceramic dish with additional sage leaves and mozzarella topping to create a flavorful crust.
This dish offers a pleasant texture contrast between the tender pasta, creamy and cheesy filling, and the smooth vegetable sauce with subtle seasoning. It's suitable as a satisfying vegetarian entree that can be served warm, complemented by a simple green salad or crusty bread for a balanced meal.
Make sure to taste and adjust salt levels in both filling and sauce to achieve a balanced flavor. The recipe suggests using vegetarian-labeled cheeses if preferred. The butternut squash sauce can be thinned with additional vegetable stock as needed to reach desired consistency.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 pound butternut squash peeled and diced (approximately 3.5 cups)
- 6 ounces yellow onion cut into large chunks (1 medium)
- 3-4 cloves garlic whole
- 1 ½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 ¾ cup vegetable stock
Filling:
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese whole milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup spinach roughly chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon oregano dried
- ¼ teaspoon thyme dried
- ¼ teaspoon basil dried
Additional Ingredients:
- 20 pasta shells plus a few extra to account for any breaking, jumbo
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 10-12 sage leaves
- mozzarella cheese to top, additional shredded
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the diced butternut squash, onion, and whole garlic cloves on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until squash is tender.
- Shells: meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook the jumbo shells for half the recommended cook time. Drain and rinse, then set aside.
- Filling: As the shells cook, prepare the filling by mixing together all the filling ingredients. Taste test and adjust salt levels as needed. Set aside.
- Once vegetables have roasted, reduce oven heat to 375°F. Place the vegetables in a blender (or a large stockpot if immersion blending) along with the vegetable stock. Place the lid on top, cracking the top hole a bit to allow steam to escape. Puree ingredients together, blending until smooth. Add additional stock if needed. Taste and adjust for salt levels.
- Assembly: Butter an 8x8 or 9x9 ceramic baking dish if desired, then spread 2 cups of the sauce on the bottom. Take a shell and scoop or pipe approximately 2 tablespoons of filling inside of it, placing it on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Continue filling each shell until finished. Top the shells with the remaining 1 cup of sauce. Sprinkle additional cheese on top as desired.
- Baking: Bake for 26-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
- Crispy Sage: While the pasta bakes, melt 1 TBSP butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves, and using a fork, turn occasionally as they crisp up in the butter for 2-4 minutes. Once they're crispy and deep green in color, remove with the fork and place on a paper towel until ready to serve. Garnish baked pasta with the sage.
Notes
- Use vegetarian-labeled cheese if a fully vegetarian dish is desired.
- Adjust salt in the filling and sauce to taste before assembling.
- Puree the roasted vegetables with vegetable stock until smooth, thinning with additional stock as needed.
- Half-cook the jumbo pasta shells to ensure they hold their shape during baking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 572 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 572kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 54g | 18% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 1465mg | 61% |
| Potassium | 746mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 13686IU | 274% |
| Vitamin C | 30mg | 33% |
| Calcium | 577mg | 58% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
