These stuffed shells are packed with a spicy spinach and ricotta filling and nestled in a cozy roasted butternut Alfredo sauce.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 10 ounces diced butternut squash (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 small shallot, halved
- 1 clove garlic, unpeeled
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large leaf fresh sage, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30 jumbo pasta shells (about 10 ounces)
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
- Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
- 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Add the squash, shallot and garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the thyme, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and toss again. Roast until the squash is tender and light golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add the pasta shells and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and let cool.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small food processor or blender, add the squash, shallot and vegetable broth and puree until smooth.
- Mix together the spinach, cream cheese, ricotta, red pepper flakes, 2/3 cup of the Parmesan and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture into each shell; set aside.
- Add the pureed squash mixture, heavy cream and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the remaining 1 1/3 cups Parmesan.
- Spread the cheese sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in the baking dish seam-side up, shingling them so they all fit (you should have 5 shells along the short side and 6 shells along the long side). Top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and sage before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1327 |
| Total Fat | 87 g |
| Saturated Fat | 52 g |
| Carbohydrates | 90 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 50 g |
| Cholesterol | 265 mg |
| Sodium | 1320 mg |
Reviews
This recipe was a huge hit at my Thanksgiving potluck. I did modify it slightly by putting some of the butternut squash purée into the filling. I also double the recipe and it gave me three pans rather than two. I will definitely be making this again.
Loved this recipe! Ended up doubling the sauce and then used the whole box of noodles. Filled all the noodles and put everything in a 15×11” pan. Definitely a rich meal. Best served with light sides
Such a warm and tasty dish, it makes a lot but it reheats well. I will definitely be remaking this!!
I made this for a small dinner party and everyone raved about it!!! This is my 3rd time making this dish, each time I make a few changes. This time I used Calabrian Chili Peppers instead of red pepper flakes, so much better and not too hot, cut the salt in squash mixture, and used fresh spinach that I sauté and squeezed dry. Love this recipe!
I made this and will make again. I made a few changes:
I used half and half. only used 1 1/2 cups and added 1/2 cup veg broth to squash mixture
I added an egg to ricotta mixture also only used 4 oz of cream cheese
I used fresh spinach (cook)
I made extra squash to add to the ricotta mixture.
It was delish !
Delicious – worth the effort! Creamy, rich and decadent.
I made this the other night. I must say it was a bit of work but it looked impressive. Unfortunately we really didn’t care for this recipe. It was extremely rich and sweeter than what I had thought it would be. I think perhaps if it just used the ricotta and not all that cream cheese it would be a lot lighter dish. Will not make this one again.
Amazing flavor! I used fresh spinach that I wilted then squeezed dry before chopping. Filling was perfect consistency. I also used a medium shallot and 5 cloves garlic (they weren’t huge though) just because we love roasted garlic. I did not put as much salt as is noted though, and did not add it to the squash purée at the end. The flavor of the roasted butternut squash mixture was a perfect paring to the stuffed shells. This is a definite make again!
**Update – had leftover shells and mixes so I stuffed the remaining shells and lined them up in a freezer bag and removed the air. Also put remaining squash mixture in a separate bag. Took them out several months later, defrosted, and popped in the oven. Were just as good as the first time!
**Update – had leftover shells and mixes so I stuffed the remaining shells and lined them up in a freezer bag and removed the air. Also put remaining squash mixture in a separate bag. Took them out several months later, defrosted, and popped in the oven. Were just as good as the first time!
This is one of the best things I’ve ever made. Makes quite a few dishes, but completely worth it!!
WOW!!!This recipe was so delicious! My husband said this was in the top 5 of my recipes! Will definitely make this again!