Butternut Squash Ricotta Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe 42

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• 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.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, RICOTTA & SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Peel, chop and toss in olive oil your butternut squash, then in a hot oven roast at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. Cook your jumbo pasta shells according to directions. In a bowl add approximately 2 cups of ricotta, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1 fresh smashed garlic clove, 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach ( squeezed and drained), 1 egg, salt, pepper, and your cooled down roasted squash, around 2 cups and grated lemon peel. The lemon peel was key to this dish and added a nice bright flavor. Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a buttered baking dish. Make a sage brown butter sauce by melting 1 stick of butter in a saute pan until golden brown and bubbly. Add at least 10 sage leaves until slightly crisp. Turn off heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Place your shells in a 400°F oven until heated through around 20-25 minutes. When finished spoon your warm sage sauce all over and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make the cashew cream: Blend together the drained raw cashews, fresh water, garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach in increments, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté until all the spinach is incorporated and wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid and chop. In a medium bowl, combine the the spinach with the crumbled tofu, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, at least 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1 cup of cashew cream. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Assemble the shells. Spread ¼ cup of the reserved cashew cream on the bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked shell with some of the filling and a few cubes of butternut squash, and place into the baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over the shells, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining cashew cream.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RICOTTA STUFFED PASTA

Steps:

• Both the Ricotta and Butternut filling can be made beforehand and frozen, cutting down on prep time.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminium foil and coat with cooking spray.
• With a strong knife remove the stem from the squash.
• Slice the squash in half end-to-end and remove and discard the pulp and seeds.
• Cut each portion in half creating four pieces which are about the same size.
• Place the squash wedges on the baking sheet with the cut side up.
• Coat each piece of squash with butter and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the wedges with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove the wedges from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Remove the flesh from the skin and mash in a medium bowl adding a pinch of nutmeg.
• In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of your pesto,1/4 cup of your parmesan, salt and pepper to taste as well as a little bit of nutmeg.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta shells cooking for 8 minutes (until al-dente).
• Drain pasta and cool in cold water, drain again of all water.
• In a 9x13 inch casserole dish pour tomato sauce and water adding the 2 tablespoons of remaining pesto.
• Divide and stuff the mashed squash into the bottom part of the pasta shells.
• Top the squash with the ricotta mixture, stuffing the pasta shells as full as you can.
• Set the stuffed pasta shells stuffed side up on top of the tomato sauce.
• Sprinkle the shells with the remaining parmesan cheese.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the pasta is golden on top.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions (just 9 or 10 minutes in boiling water). I like to make a couple of extra shells just in case any of them fall apart in the boiling water. Drain the water and place shells on a baking sheet until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 of the jar of CLASSICO Riserva sauce into the pan and spread to cover the bottom. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, half of the havarti or mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Stir until well combined. Stir in the butternut squash and the sage. Add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Fill shells generously with the butternut squash/cheese mixture and place in the prepared baking dish. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheeses on top of the sauce. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Serve immediately. Leftovers are great too!