These delicious stuffed shells are full of a ricotta and spinach filling all covered in a creamy butternut squash sauce!
Butternut Sauce Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells combines two of my favorite recipes; stuffed shells and butternut squash sauce. These were so yummy, I was really glad I made enough for leftovers. I mean leftovers are a favorite at the Garrett household.
Pin these butternut squash spinach and ricotta stuffed shells for later.
Do you love leftovers? I know some don’t, but why not? If you are taking the time to cook, and we all know sometimes it takes a lot of effort to make a home-cooked meal, why not just go all out and make a double batch. Well, if you are making a double batch, technically they aren’t leftovers, but that is besides the point. Our favorite time to enjoy leftovers often is for lunch. Craig will love a good sandwich for lunch, me – I love the leftovers.
But I will tell you sometimes it is really nice to just come home from work and warm up leftovers. We add a vegetable or salad and dinner is ready. Poof! Just like that. And these butternut sauce spinach ricotta stuffed shells are the perfect leftovers or double batch if you want to go there.
You might feel like you are making 3 different dishes; butternut squash sauce, shells, and spinach ricotta cheese mixture. So if you don’t have a lazy Sunday afternoon which I did the day I prepared this dish, you can always roast the squash one day, prepared the spinach ricotta cheese mixture another, and even cook the pasta shells another. Bring them all together and you have your butternut sauce spinach ricotta stuffed shells.
Butternut Sauce Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 lb box jumbo shell pasta
For the Butternut Squash Sauce:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 1/3 cup diced celery
- 1 cloves garlic (minced and divided)
- 2.5 cups roasted butternut squash (cubed)
- 4 tsp dried sage or 4 fresh sage leaves
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
For the Stuffed Shell Filling:
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 2 cups spinach (washed and rinsed)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg (fork beaten)
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions, rinse and drain once finished.
- While shells are cooking, prepare the butternut squash sauce
For the ]Butternut Squash Sauce:
- In a medium sauce pan warm 1 TBS olive oil, add 1/3 cup onions and 1/3 cup celery, saute and until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes
- Add 1 minced garlic clove and saute for about 30 seconds
- Add the butternut squash and sage, and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes
- Pour squash, half & half, chicken broth into a blender, puree until smooth
- Pour everything back into the saucepan, season with 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper
- Simmer everything together over low heat until ready to pour over shells
- While butternut sauce is simmering, prepare spinach ricotta cheese mixture
For the Spinach Ricotta Cheese Mixture:
- In another medium sauce pan, warm 2 TBS olive oil
- Add the rest of the diced onion, saute until tender and translucent
- Add 1 minced garlic clove, saute for 30 seconds
- Add the spinach and saute until wilted, remove from heat
- In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, 1.5 cups grated mozzarella cheese, and the Parmesan cheese
- Add egg and remaining spices - salt, pepper, oregano, Italian seasonings - and mix all together
- Add sauteed spinach and onions, and mix together
- Now you will assemble the stuffed shells
- For the Stuffed Shells:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray the bottom of a 9x13 ovenproof pan
- Stuff one of the jumbo pasta shells with 1 to 1.5 TBS cheese/spinach mixture, lay in pan
- Continue to stuff each shell until you either run out of shells or cheese/spinach
- Once the pan is full, pour the butternut sauce all over the stuffed jumbo shells
- Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over it
- Return to oven and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until cheese is completely melted.
What is your favorite leftovers?
JUANQUI says
Me encantan vuestras recetas de pastas y salsas, especialmente cuando todo es casero, no productos comerciales para mezclar (salsas , aditivos etc).
Les solicito algunas recetas de rellenos para ravioles.
I love your pasta recipes and sauces, especially when everything is homemade, not commercial products to mix (sauces, additives etc).
I ask for some ravioli stuffing recipes.
Ellen Garrett says
Tendré que hacer algunas nuevas recetas con raviolis rellenos. Me alegro de que te gusten nuestras recetas.