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Butternut Squash and Sage Sausage Stuffed Shells

A classic stuffed shells recipe gets a fall facelift with the addition of a creamy butternut squash sauce and fresh sage in the sausage mixture. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword butternut squash, fall recipe, stuffed shells
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 onion sliced
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 pound sausage
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound jumbo shells cooked al dente
  • 15 ounces ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup parmesan shredded
  • Additional parmesan shredded
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Tillamook mozzarella cheese shreds
  • p. Sage

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Arrange onion and butternut squash in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cook sausage over medium heat. When sausage is mostly browned, add spinach and garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted and remove from heat.
  4. Place roasted butternut squash and onion in a food processor.
  5. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Allow to cool. Stir in milk and vegetable broth. Pour butternut squash sauce into base of a 9x13 baking dish.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, and egg. Add sausage and spinach into ricotta and stir until evenly distributed.
  7. Fill cooked pasta shells with 3-4 tablespoons of filling. Arrange shells in butternut squash sauce in the 9x13 baking dish.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil followed by 15 minutes uncovered. Top with additional parmesan and Tillamook mozzarella.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

You can substitute the pork sausage for any variety that you enjoy eating, but be careful not to use a spicy sausage as this will throw off the flavor profile of the dish.