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Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara

Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara

Looking for a warm and hearty winter meal? This cozy pasta bake is the perfect dish! The shells are individually stuffed with a sausage and ricotta mixture and baked in a creamy pumpkin marinara sauce. From start to finish, this comfort food is ready in less than an hour!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 10 people
Calories 609 kcal

Equipment

  • 9X13 baking dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Skillet
  • stock pot or large sauce pan

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for ricotta stuffed shells

  • 30 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese grated
  • 1 pound sausage browned
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 package shell pasta al dente
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for pumpkin marinara

  • 30 ounces pumpkin puree 2 cans
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup water
  • olive oil for drizzling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it is evenly hot but not smoking. Add the chopped yellow onion and sautéed until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, remove it from the skillet. Stir in the sausage and brown the meat until it is fully cooked.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, half of the grated mozzarella, Italian seasonings, egg yolks, sausage and onion.
    Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
  • Boil the shell pasta according to the al dente instructions on the package. Once the shells are done, strain them and spread them on a tea towel or baking sheet.
  • Using a two inch dough scoop, fill the cooked shells with the meat and ricotta cheese filling. Arrange the stuffed shells in a greased 9X13 baking dish.
    Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
  • Make the pumpkin marinara by adding the pumpkin puree, cream, water, sautéed onion, garlic and Italian seasoning to a blender. Pulse to desired consistency.
  • Pour the pumpkin marinara over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top.
  • Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. The pasta is done when the cheese is bubbly and browned.
    Hearty Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Shells With Creamy Pumpkin Marinara

Notes

Variations to this recipe

While we've already discussed substituting lasagna noodles for shell pasta and pasta sauce for the pumpkin marinara, I have a few more tasty ways to enjoy this recipe!
If I happen to have bruschetta on hand, this filling and sauce is sooo good slathered on a piece of bread and broiled in the oven until bubbly and crispy. It's like having bite-sized lasagna without the noodles. This is also a handy way to use up any leftover filling.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 609kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 29gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 515mgPotassium: 537mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 14043IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 355mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!