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Stuffed Shells With Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Stuffed shells with pumpkin cream sauce are baked until the mozzarella is golden and the filling stays tender. Jumbo shells are stuffed with a ricotta mixture and tucked into a creamy orange pumpkin sauce for a cozy Italian-American dinner.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta shells
  • 20 jumbo pasta shells Cook al dente before stuffing.
Ricotta filling
  • 2 cup ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 0.5 cup parmesan
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste
Pumpkin cream sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Topping and garnish
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 fresh sage for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and bake dish
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Cook the jumbo pasta shells al dente, then drain and set aside while you make the sauce.
Make pumpkin cream sauce
  1. In a Dutch oven, sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant, using medium heat.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes, then stir to combine.
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened and creamy.
Stuff and assemble
  1. Pour most of the pumpkin cream sauce into the greased baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
  2. In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until smooth.
  3. Stuff each cooked shell with the ricotta mixture and nestle them into the sauce in the baking dish.
  4. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells and scatter shredded mozzarella on top.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 375°F until the sauce is bubbly and the mozzarella is golden.
  2. Let the baked shells stand briefly, then garnish with fresh sage before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: If the sauce seems thick after simmering, loosen it with a splash of chicken broth so it pools nicely around the stuffed shells. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 325°F until hot and bubbly. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy sauce may separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly thinner but still creamy).