Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- olive oil
- Sauce
- 2 cups mashed butternut squash (from squash listed above)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup broth (optional)
- Shells
- 2 cups mashed butternut squash (from squash listed above)
- 8 oz whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 3 cups grated mozzarella (from 8 oz. low moisture mozzarella)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the squash. Cut it lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush each side with olive oil or butter. Bake at 400 F, cut side up, in a pan with one inch of water in it, for about 40 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before scraping out the insides.
- As the squash cools, cook the shells until al dente. Drain the water, and toss with olive oil. Set aside.
- For the sauce, brown the butter in a small saucepan. Once the butter is browned, pour to a separate container and add the fresh sage. Combine sage butter with the rest of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. The optional broth is just for if you want a thinner sauce — you can add as much or as little of that as you want. Pour enough sauce to coat the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- For the filling, combine two cups of mashed squash, the ricotta, egg, cheeses (SAVE 1 cup of the mozzarella for topping), sage, salt, and pepper. Mix until completely combined. Carefully spoon filling into each shell and arrange, seam side up, in the 9×13 baking dish. When all of the shells are arranged, pour the remaining sauce over them, and top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake the dish at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Broil, right under the broiler, for 1 minute to brown and bubble the cheese before serving topped with fresh chopped sage and grated parmesan.