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Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Cheesy, comfort, elegant, fall, seasonal
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Christen Clark

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 butternut squash around 2 1/2 pounds
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • pinch nutmeg
  • kosher salt
  • 10 ounces jumbo shells
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
  • 2 cups fresh kale chopped
  • 2 cups ricotta
  • 1 cup Parmesan grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup mozzarella shredded
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

Make the butternut squash sauce.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    Slice a whole butternut squash in half length-wise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Brush the inside flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
    Roast for 40-50 minutes, flesh side down, until completely fork tender. Allow to cool before handling.
    Scoop out the roasted squash from the skins and purée in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender. Dump the purée into a medium saucepan with heavy cream and a pinch of both salt and nutmeg. Simmer for about 8 minutes, until it is thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.

Make the filling.

  • In a large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil on medium, then brown the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Add the shallot and garlic and sage and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the kale and a pinch of salt and continue to sauté until it has wilted slightly, about another couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
    In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the cooled sausage mixture.

Assemble the shells.

  • While cooking the sauce and filling, boil a large pot of salty water, then add the shells. Cook them for as long as specified on the box. Drain and set aside until ready to assemble.
    In a large skillet or baking dish. Pour in about a half cup of the butternut squash sauce.
    Use a spoon to scoop the ricotta filling into each of the shells. They should be full but not completely overflowing. Arrange them in the pan on top of the sauce. Once all the shells are stuffed and in the pan, spoon the remaining sauce over all of the shells. Top them with the shredded mozzarella. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Optional balsamic glaze.

  • While you are making the stuffed shells, the balsamic can be reducing on a back burner.
    Pour 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan. Heat on medium until it reduces to 1/2 cup, which can take up to 20 minutes. Allow to cool and thicken. Drizzle the glaze over the stuffed shells when serving.