Vegetarian pasta shells with delicate ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and baked pumpkin are a great option for a cosy homemade dinner that will please the whole family. Very easy to prepare from easily accessible ingredients. You can prepare this meal in advance and bake it in the oven just before serving. What could be better than this? Try this simple recipe for stuffed pasta shells and you won't regret it.
Hope you're not fed up with pumpkin? I haven't yet! I’m slowly using up my beautiful pumpkin decorations, and turning them into something delicious! I must admit, I’m making the most of the pumpkin season this year.
This is my second favourite recipe that uses large pasta shells, and although meatless, it’s just as tasty as stuffed pasta shells with meat . I recommend it to all vegetarians and pumpkin lovers!
Pumpkin and ricotta stuffed shells - which pumpkin should you choose?
To make this recipe, you’ll bake your pumpkin in the oven. Therefore, the best pumpkins are those with starchy flesh that holds its shape when roasted. I usually choose hokkaido or kabocha pumpkin. As a last resort, you can use a different type of pumpkin, in the worst case it’ll fall apart while mixing the stuffing, but the taste will remain great anyway! 🙂
For this recipe, you’ll use about 1/2 of a small pumpkin, so you can prepare a pumpkin stew with coconut milk or delicious gluten-free cake with cream using the other half.
Pumpkin and ricotta stuffed shells
Ingredients
Pasta shells
- 150 g pasta (large shells)
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 50 g hard Italian cheese + 1 tbsp for garnish (e.g. parmesan, grana padano)
- 1 mozzarella ball
- 250 g hokkaido/kabocha pumpkin (about 1½ cup diced)
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- pinch of nutmeg
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Tomato sauce
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds with the fibrous centre. Dice the flesh into small cubes, mix with a tablespoon of oil, thyme and salt. Spread on a baking sheet lined with paper and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the stuffing: mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and nutmeg thoroughly, then add the baked pumpkin and mix gently until combined.
- Cook the pasta (al dente) according to the instructions on the package. Make sure you don’t overcook it. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Tomato sauce: cook all the tomato sauce ingredients in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Spread the reduced tomato sauce on the bottom of a large ovenproof dish and place the pasta shells filled with the prepared stuffing on top. Tear the mozzarella cheese into smaller pieces and place on top, then sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese. Put the prepared dish in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy your meal!
Notes
- With this recipe you'll prepare 4 smaller or 2 large portions.
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