There has been a rowdy heat wave in michigan, late, late into the months we call autumn. Dave & I planned to go to a cider mill Friday, but just could not bring ourselves to do it in eighty degree weather. The point is to bundle up in plaid and quilted vests! Not have heat exhaustion in a sundress. Perhaps a new form of punishment could be performing Autumn activities in sauna like temperatures. It is just not meant to be. And miserable.
Let us redeem our Autumn-selves with a butternut squash dinner.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS
Serves 3-4
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 pound sausage
2 cups spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 pound jumbo shells, cooked al dente
15 ounces ricotta
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded
Additional parmesan, shredded
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange onion and butternut squash in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sausage over medium heat. When sausage is mostly browned, add spinach and garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted and remove from heat. Place roasted butternut squash and onion in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Allow to cool.
Stir in milk and vegetable broth. Pour butternut squash sauce into base of a 9×13 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, and egg. Add sausage and spinach into ricotta and stir until evenly distributed. Fill cooked pasta shells with 3-4 tablespoons of filling. Arrange shells in butternut squash sauce in the 9×13 baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil followed by 15 minutes uncovered. Top with additional parmesan.
Note: This recipe was updated December 30, 2014.
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 onion, sliced
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- 1 pound sausage
- 2 cups spinach
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 pound jumbo shells, cooked al dente
- 15 ounces ricotta
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parmesan, shredded
- Additional parmesan, shredded
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Arrange onion and butternut squash in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook sausage over medium heat. When sausage is mostly browned, add spinach and garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted and remove from heat.
- Place roasted butternut squash and onion in a food processor.
- Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Allow to cool. Stir in milk and vegetable broth. Pour butternut squash sauce into base of a 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, and egg. Add sausage and spinach into ricotta and stir until evenly distributed.
- Fill cooked pasta shells with 3-4 tablespoons of filling. Arrange shells in butternut squash sauce in the 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil followed by 15 minutes uncovered. Top with additional parmesan.
Adapted from Completely Delicious.