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Ricotta Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

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Pumpkin stuffed shells are the most creamy and comforting recipe around. Pair the dreamy filling with a crazy delicious garlic cream cheese sauce and you’ve got a recipe that you’ll want on repeat.

I’m not usually one to add pumpkin to all the things just because the calendar flips over to fall. But, trust me when I say that you HAVE to try these pumpkin stuffed shells. They really are that good!

A brief story (I know I know…just get the recipe) about the photos you’ve been seeing on the blog here recently. My schedule has been insane until recently and, when I finally had a day to do some photos of recipes I’d tested, I woke to find that my “real” camera had died. This left me with only my cell phone to take pictures and that came with QUITE the learning curve. So, I appreciate your patience with the lower quality photos than what I normally strive for while trusting that the recipe is ANYTHING but low quality or low taste 🙂

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells Ingredients

  • Butter – I typically use salted butter in my savory dishes but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer.
  • Roasted Garlic
  • Flour
  • Milk – Two percent or whole milk works best in this recipe.
  • Half and Half
  • Pecorino – You can substitute Parmesan.
  • Salt and pepper
  • Jumbo Pasta Shells
  • Whole Milk Ricotta
  • Cottage Cheese – I use small curd cottage cheese.
  • Pumpkin Puree
  • Egg
  • Fresh Sage

How to Make Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ok, so the most important part about this recipe is definitely the sauce. Used both on the bottom and on top of the stuffed shells, it is so perfectly creamy and delicious. I might recommend making extra because you’ll want to eat it on just about everything.

The ricotta filling for the shells is a mix of whole milk ricotta, cottage cheese, pumpkin, Pecorino cheese, and fresh sage. I like the slight texture difference the blend of ricotta and cottage cheese adds but feel free to use all ricotta if you’d prefer.

Place the stuffed shells on top of the sauce and then top with additional sauce.

More Fall Pasta Recipes

If you like this pumpkin stuffed shells recipe, be sure to try these other great fall pasta recipes too:

If you make this pumpkin stuffed shells recipe or any other recipe from the blog, I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below or snap a photo and tag it #mysuburbankitchen on Instagram or Facebook.

Ricotta Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Rich and comforting pasta dish with the most delicious garlic cream sauce ever!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Shannah

Ingredients

Garlic Cream Sauce

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves roasted garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • Salt and pepper

Remaining Ingredients

  • 24 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
  • 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or butter a 9×13 baking dish.

For the Cream Sauce

  • For the sauce: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
    4 Tablespoons butter, 4 cloves roasted garlic, 1/4 cup flour
  • Gradually whisk in milk letting each addition fully incorporate before adding more. Whisk in half and half and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in Pecorino and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
    1 cup milk, 1 cup half and half, 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, Salt and pepper

For the Stuffed Shells

  • Cook shells according to package directions for al dente minus 4 minutes. Drain well and lay out to cool.
    24 jumbo pasta shells
  • In a large bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, pumpkin, Pecorino, egg, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each pasta shell with pumpkin cheese mixture.
    1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese, 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage, Salt and pepper
  • Ladle some cream sauce into the bottom over the prepare baking dish. Add the stuffed shells and then top with remaining sauce.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Freshly grated Parmesan can be used in place of the Pecorino, if preferred.
  2. If the cheese sauce seems too thick, add in a small amount of milk to thin it out.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8911IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a comment below, snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram, or pin it to your Pinterest account!
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