Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 70
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the pasta:
16-20 jumbo pasta shells
3 cups frozen butternut squash chunks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
2 green onions, white parts, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
For the bechamel sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the topping:
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon dried sage
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200 °C) and put a large pot of water on to boil.
Spread your butternut squash chunks out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake the squash according to the package instructions. Mine took about 25 minutes to soften up. You can flip them over halfway through for more even cooking.
While your squash is in the oven, you can cook your pasta. Add some salt to your boiling water, then tip in the jumbo shells. Cook them according to the package instructions, but make sure they’re still a bit firm as they’re going to go into the oven as well. Drain your pasta and set it aside.
While the squash and pasta are doing their thing, we’re going to brown some butter. Add your butter to a small saucepan, along with the green onion and minced garlic. Allow this to come to a simmer, and continue to cook until the butter begins to brown and smell nutty. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once your squash is cooked, transfer it to a bowl to mash until smooth. Add the salt, nutmeg, brown butter mixture, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir this all together to combine.
Lightly oil a 9-inch pie dish or a small casserole. Stuff each pasta shell with a spoonful of butternut squash mixture. I just use a soup spoon, and it seems to work well. Place each stuffed shell in your oiled pie dish as you go. Keep filling until you’ve used up all your squash.
To make the bechamel, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and bubbly. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk to combine. Let this cook for a minute or two until it starts to smell nutty. Slowly add in the milk about a quarter cup at a time, whisking out any lumps after each addition. Bring the sauce to a boil and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until thickened, whisking all the while.
Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. I always feel like it needs a bit more salt.
Pour the sauce evenly over your filled pasta shells. Scatter your mozzarella cheese and dried sage over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes:
Magical Properties of Butternut Squash:
In kitchen witchcraft and seasonal magick, squashes (particularly winter squashes like butternut) are deeply resonant with autumnal and harvest energy. Here’s how:
Abundance & harvest: Squash is a quintessential harvest vegetable. Incorporating it into your meals aligns you energetically with prosperity, plenty, and gratitude for the blessings you’ve cultivated.
Grounding & stability: Its dense, earthy flesh connects to the roots of the earth, helping you feel centered, rooted, and stable during times of change.
Nurturing & protection: As a food that’s rich and sustaining, butternut squash can be used symbolically (or literally) in nourishment spells, protective offerings, or rituals designed to nurture self-care.
Transformation & alchemy: Think of the transformation, orange flesh roasted and seasoned, mashed, combined with cheese and sauce, as a metaphor for personal alchemy: raw potential transmuted into something deeply beautiful.
Solar glow: Its warm, golden hue also ties it to the energy of the sun, even as daylight fades. It’s a reminder of inner light, even in darker hours.
You might want to charge your squash under moonlight, whisper a blessing into your roasting pan, or stir your filling with intention, filling not just the shells, but your own cup.
Tips for making Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells:
Roasting squash for depth
Spread squash chunks in a single layer, toss lightly with oil (if fresh), and roast until very tender and caramelized. Caramelization brings out sweetness and complexity.
Brown butter is your friend
Browning the butter with green onion and garlic before adding it to your filling gives a warm, nutty undercurrent. It lifts the flavor beyond “just squash + cheese.”
When making béchamel, add milk slowly and whisk constantly to prevent lumps. If you get lumps, you can pass the sauce through a fine sieve or use an immersion blender.
Layer flavors, don’t just mix
Taste your squash filling before stuffing. If it feels flat, a pinch of salt will really help. Same with the béchamel. Season in stages and taste along the way. I find I need to be very heavy-handed with the salt in this recipe.
Rest before serving
Let the dish rest 5–10 minutes after baking. It gives time for the sauce to set slightly, making serving cleaner and letting the flavors meld.
Stretching the dish
On lighter nights, serve smaller portions of shells, and pair with soup or a hearty salad. Or double up and freeze half (before baking) for a later magical night when you don’t want to cook from scratch.
Recipe courtesy of Awesome On 20.com