This is a “please try me” :star: recipe~ the triple is butternut squash, creamy spinach, and Italian sausage.
It isn’t hard, can be made ahead of time, it makes a ton, and the flavor combination is so unique…it is such a delightful change from traditional pasta with marinara sauce and it’s much lighter for the warmer weather
Roasted garlic gives it depth of flavor, you definitely don’t want to skip this ingredient! Put your garlic in the oven first and let it roast at 400 for 1 hour while you are getting everything else going [or do this ahead and keep it in your fridge]
Buy prepared cubed butternut squash if you can, cubing your own squash is pretty labor intensive, so I gladly pay to have it done for me. I got mine at Costco and forgot to note the weight of the package but it was a baking sheet full, probably 1 large butternut squash cubed, or about 4 cups
Put the squash cubes on a foil lined baking sheet with olive oil and salt & pepper and roast it at 400 for 30-35 minutes until it is soft and starting to brown.
Once squash is cooked, puree it with an immersion blender [or use a regular blender, mixer or food processor]
While squash and garlic are roasting, brown the Italian sausage and drain on paper towels. Saute chopped onion in a scant amount of the sausage drippings
For the spinach ricotta mixture, I used 1 box of frozen chopped spinach,cooked, drained and squeezed dry and 1 box of Stouffer’s Creamed Spinach, cooked, and 1 cup of ricotta cheese. You can use 2 boxes of regular chopped spinach and 2 cups ricotta cheese if you prefer. I just used what I had on hand
Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan~this is a good time to add 1/4 cup of Chia if you cook with it~ and salt & pepper
Add sauteed onions, roasted garlic and sausage to pureed squash
Combine with spinach mixture
Hopefully at some point during all this you have cooked your shells a little less than al dente. You want to undercook the shells so they will hold their shape when you stuff them. They will finish cooking when your dish bakes
Stuff away! In a cooking oil sprayed 9″ x 13″baking dish, drizzle a little 1/2 and 1/2 cream, about 1/8 -1/4 cup. Put your stuffed shells on top of the cream in the bottom of the baking dish as you fill them.
Sprinkle them liberally with finely grated Parmesan cheese. At this point you can cover the dish and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake loosely covered at 325 for 45-60 minutes.
Melt butter in a small sauce pan and add sage leaves
Let it get nice and bubbly
add lemon juice and heat~
Pour hot sage sauce over cooked shells in baking dish before serving
This is pretty much a one dish meal, of course some crusty bread is always great on the side~
Garnish with some more shaved Parmesan too if you’d like~
Here is the recipe:
Sausage, Spinach and Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Butter
Ingredients
- 1 head fresh garlic
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 links Italian sausage
- 4-5 cups butternut squash cubes
- 1 box of Stouffer’s Creamed Spinach cooked*
- 1 box frozen chopped spinach cooked, drained, and squeeze dried
- 1 cup part skim ricotta
- 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese divided
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup 1/2 n 1/2 cream
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut off the top of garlic head and place on a square of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, wrap up and roast at 400 for 1 hour.
- Put squash cubes on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season. Place pan in oven with garlic and roast for 30-35 minutes.
- Put squash cubes in a large bowl and puree with an immersion blender. Set aside.
- Brown sausage and drain on paper towels.
- Cook onion in scant amount of sausage drippings until translucent.
- Add onion and sausage to squash puree.
- Squeeze roasted garlic head into squash mixture.
- Combine spinach, ricotta and 3 oz. Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add to squash mix and stir gently to combine.
- Cook pasta shells until just starting to soften, put not completely done. Drain.
- Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking oil spray and drizzle just a little cream in bottom of pan, just to add a little moisture.
- Stuff pasta shells with squash mix and place tightly in pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 oz. Parmesan over all. Cover with foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- Loosen foil before baking so dish is lightly covered and bake at 325 for 45-60 minutes until hot. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and add sage leaves. Cook 3-4 minutes and add lemon juice. Cook 1-2 minutes longer and then pour butter sauce over cooked pasta shells and then serve. Makes 8 servings
Notes
I hope you enjoy!
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