Creamy butternut squash alfredo sauce and flavorful sausage are featured in these luscious butternut squash stuffed shells. – easy to make ahead of time and perfect for any dinner occasion!
We’re bringing the cozy food to your holiday dinner plans this year! Starting with a huge bowl of these stuffed shells, naturally.
Not only are they the ultimate comfort food, but they’re just plain IMPRESSIVE on a holiday table!
And you just can’t argue with the words ‘butternut squash alfredo’. It makes this whole dang dinner.
Stuffed shells always feel like a fancier dinner affair whenever we make them. They definitely stand out on any table and they taste even better than they look if you can believe that!
Pretty sure the secret lies in the triple dose of cheese. That always helps out a dish.
These Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells feature…
- A creamy, silky butternut squash alfredo sauce
- Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, butternut squash, spinach, and sausage
- Gooey mozzarella and Parmesan cheese baked on top
Making the Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Nutmeg
- Thyme
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Italian sausage
- Baby spinach
- Ricotta cheese
- Pasta shells
How to Cut and Roast Butternut Squash
Butternut squash may seem daunting to cut, but all it takes is a good knife, a peeler, and being extra careful.
To prep the butternut squash, first use a good knife to cut butternut squash in half and scoop out all the seeds + guts. Then grab your peeler and remove all the skin.
Cut butternut squash into 1/4-in thick slabs, then dice into 1/4-in cubes. That’s it!
Tips for Making Perfect Stuffed Shells
- Cut butternut squash in uniform cubes – try to make sure the butternut squash cubes are close to the same size so they cook evenly.
- Roast butternut squash – the squash takes a quick 20-25 minute trip to the oven until perfectly soft and tender.
- Reserve 1 cup roasted squash – we will save this for the ricotta filling.
- Blend alfredo sauce with remaining butternut squash – we’re whipping up a basic alfredo sauce, then blending with squash until smooth and creamy.
- Make ricotta filling – blend ricotta cheese with cooked sausage, wilted spinach, and reserved butternut squash.
- Stuff shells – use a spoon to stuff cooked jumbo pasta shells with ricotta filling. Place shells on top of alfredo sauce in baking dish.
- Top shells with cheese – we use a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan, but feel free to use what you have on hand!
- Bake shells – just a quick 20-25 minute bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is browned.
Make Ahead Instructions
Here are several time-savers you can use if you want to make these shells ahead of time! –>
- Butternut squash may be cut and stored in refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Alfredo may be made and stored in fridge up to 6 days.
- Shells may be assembled through step 3 and stored in fridge up to 3 days. When ready to bake, proceed with baking per recipe instructions.
Y’all, it’s almost unreal how silky and creamy the butternut squash alfredo is. Paired with the luxuriously cheesy stuffed shells and a little herby goodness on top and we’ve definitely got a dinner win.
Whether you’re making these for Christmas dinner or just a regular ol’ weeknight, I promise you can’t really go wrong!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these shells made step-by-step on Google web stories!
A few more holiday-worthy dinners for your table!
Sausage Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
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Ingredients
Butternut Squash Alfredo
- 4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/4-in cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Stuffed Shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 15 oz ricotta cheese (low fat or whole milk works)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 20 jumbo-sized pasta shells, cooked according to package instructions
- 1/4 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Instructions
Butternut Squash Alfredo Sauce
- Preheat oven to 400F and grease a medium sheet pan. In a medium bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and roast at 400F 20-25 minutes until tender. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk flour into butter and cook several minutes until golden brown.
- Begin adding milk and cream, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in nutmeg and Parmesan.
- Reserve 1 cup butternut squash cubes and set aside. Place remaining squash in a blender or food processor. Pour alfredo sauce over top and blend until sauce is completely smooth.
- Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste then pour sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
Stuffed Shells
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add sausage and saute several minutes, breaking up into bite-sized pieces, until no longer pink. Add spinach and saute several minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine sausage-spinach mixture, ricotta, and reserved 1 cup butternut squash. Season filling with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill cooked jumbo shells with cheese-sausage mixture and place on top of sauce in casserole dish. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over top.
- Bake stuffed shells at 375F 20-25 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Top shells with fresh thyme and serve immediately while warm. Enjoy!
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