Creamy Butternut Squash Stuffed Pasta Shells with Sausage
Creamy Butternut Squash Stuffed Pasta Shells with Sausage, Spinach, and Tomatoes are the ultimate Autumn/Winter comfort food. This Italian-inspired pasta dish is bursting with colors and Fall flavors! It's packed with protein, veggies, and fiber. Simple enough to make on a busy weeknight - fancy enough to entertain guests!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package instructions (usually 10 or 15 minutes). Drain. In the meantime, proceed with the recipe below.
Make sausage filling
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large oven-safe, heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet. Add crumbled sausage and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sausage is cooked. Drain excess fat.
To the same skillet with cooked sausage, add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, fresh spinach, and chopped fresh tomatoes (reserve some tomatoes for later use). Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes until the spinach wilts to your liking.
Remove the sausage and veggie mixture to a large bowl.
Make creamy butternut squash sauce
To the same, now empty, skillet, add 1.5 cups of butternut squash puree, 1 cup of heavy cream, and a small amount of fresh thyme over medium heat and stir to combine until the sauce reaches an even consistency. Remove from heat.
Stuff pasta shells and assembly
Preheat oven to 400 F.
After the pasta shells are cooked and drained, start stuffing each shell with a spoonful of sausage, spinach, and tomato mixture.
If you have remaining stuffing - mix it with the creamy butternut squash sauce in the skillet.
Place each stuffed shell in a circular pattern on top of the creamy butternut squash sauce in a skillet.
Top the shells with shredded Pepper Jack cheese and the remaining chopped cherry tomatoes.
Place the skillet in the oven, uncovered, and bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 10 or 15 minutes to warm up the stuffed shells and melt the cheese.
Notes
The total cooking time does not include the time required for roasting the butternut squash and making the butternut squash puree. I recommend that you do that in advance.
Because you will be roasting whole butternut squash, you will have more than you need (1 cup) for this recipe. Refrigerate or freeze the leftover butternut squash puree in an airtight container.
If using dried thyme instead of fresh thyme, use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme (not powdered) or ¼ teaspoon of powdered dried thyme.