Fall is the time for the perfect time for leaf-peeping, stunning hikes – and savory combinations like butternut squash, sage & cheese.
And if you throw some pasta into the game? As Uncle Jesse used to say…”have mercy!”
I discovered this recipe on Pinterest, but I tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes. I added more cheese, and I used my own homemade turkey sausage because it was lighter in calories than pork & easy to make (though you could use store-bought turkey sausage if you wanted).
I initially followed the recipe as is, and I think it could benefit from a bit more squash – which may have been because the squash I had was a bit on the small side.
I also think it would be awesome if you wanted to sub the butternut squash mixture from this Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna that I make every fall. It doesn’t call for onion, though you could always add it, and it contains ricotta. But it’s creamy & delicious.
With cooking, there’s a lot more flexibility than baking, so you can feel free to tweak recipes however you’d like. I included a link to the original recipe at the bottom, so you can view it there if you would like to view it on the original site.
Be forewarned, however, that it’s a multi-step recipe. It certainly doesn’t take all day, and you can multi-task, but it will take you a couple of hours by the time it’s all put together.
Unfortunately, I’m now gluten-free, and they don’t make any gluten-free shells that I’ve seen. But I may work on adapting this recipe to another type of dish if I can.
Yet for the gluten-friendly among you, it’s a tasty fall dish full of protein, veggies, lean protein & starchy carbs.
Bone app the teeth!
Butternut Squash & Turkey Sausage Stuffed Shells
Butternut squash layer:
1 butternut squash (small to medium-sized)
1 small to medium onion, sliced
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth (more if needed)
Stuffing for shells:
1 pound jumbo shells, cooked al dente
1 pound turkey sausage (see below for homemade version if you prefer)
2 cups baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, roasted or minced
15 ounces ricotta
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan or asiago, shredded
1/2 cup to 1 cup mozzarella & asiago or parmesan blend
Homemade Turkey Sausage
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar or maple syrup
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Step One:
To start, prep the butternut squash puree (you can also see notes above from Julia’s Album’s blog site). Simply wash a small to medium-sized squash, slice in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds, brush with a teaspoon or so of oil and top with salt & pepper.
At this point, you can also peel and slice your onions into rings. Toss with a light coating of oil, salt & pepper.
Place squash skin-side up on a roasting pan and distribute onions on same pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, depending upon the size of your squash. Remove from pan, place on cooling rack (skin side down, flesh side up) & allow to cool completely.
*To be honest, you might be able to get away with the frozen pureed squash from the frozen section at the store. I have no idea, but it’s a possible time-saving step.
Step Two:
While your squash is roasting, you can cook your shells & sausage. For the shells, follow the directions on the box – just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook while you’re working on the sausage.
For the sausage, cook it over medium heat until it’s mostly browned. If you’re making it from scratch, add the ground turkey, herbs & salt all at once and stir together in the pan. If you want to mix them together in a separate bowl ahead of time, that’s fine, too, but I’m all about minimizing dishes.
Once the sausage is mostly browned, add the minced garlic & spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.
Remove from heat and if necessary, drain any excess liquid.
Also, don’t forget to remove your shells & drain them if you haven’t already. Set aside
Step Three:
If your butternut squash & onions have finished roasting, remove them from the oven & allow them to cool.
Once they’re cool enough to touch, scoop out the squash (leaving the skin behind) & place in food processor along with onions and process until completely smooth.
Add broth & milk and process again until completely smooth. If you prefer or if your food processor isn’t large enough, you could also mix them together by hand. Once fully smooth, place in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Next, in a mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan and/or asiago & an egg. Add sausage/spinach into ricotta & mix until thoroughly combined.
Step Four:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Fill shells equally – about 3 to 4 tablespoons of ricotta/sausage/spinach filling each. Then arrange shells in butternut squash sauce in pan. Top with 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cheese.
Bake covered for 30 minutes & uncovered for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Adapted from Rachel Schultz and Julia’s Album.