Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Bacon and Crispy Sage

October 21, 2020 by Kelly 32 Comments

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Bacon and Crispy Sage - pasta shells with a butternut squash and mascarpone filling, baked in a parmesan cream sauce, topped with bacon and crispy sage.

The combination of a creamy butternut squash pasta with bacon and sage is an irresistible favorite.

Chewy jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with a velvety smooth filling of roasted butternut squash and creamy mascarpone, fragrant with just a hint of golden brown sautéed onion to bring out the sweetness.

The shells are baked in a creamy, sage-infused parmesan béchamel sauce and topped with crispy sage leaves and crumbled bacon.

Salty-sweet-smoky-herby. Creamy-chewy-crunchy-crispy. The flavors and textures of this fall favorite have me dreaming about it all year long.

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How to make butternut squash puree

Check out my post on How to Make Pumpkin Puree with step by step photos, substituting butternut squash for the pumpkin.

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Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise
Put the squash cut-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet
Roast for about an hour, or until the flesh is soft and a knife pierces it easily
Remove from oven and let cool
Scrape out the seeds, then spoon out the flesh and puree it.

You will need 2 ½ cups of puree, or about 19 ounces, from a 2 ½ to 3 lb squash.

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How to make Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Cook the pasta shells:

Boil the shells in salted water until al dente.
Drain and rinse under cold water.
I like to put a little olive or vegetable oil on my hands and be sure the shells are all separated and covered with a light film of oil to prevent sticking.

Handle the shells gently to prevent breakage. I always cook extra shells because a few usually break during cooking.

Prepare the butternut squash filling:

Sautee the chopped onion until golden brown and soft.
Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.
Stir into the rest of the filling ingredients or run it through the food processor if you’d like it very smooth.

Fill the shells:

Using either a spoon or a piping bag, fill the shells with the filling. I use a large ziplock bag and cut off the corner to make a mock piping bag.

Make the béchamel sauce:

Melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the fresh sage leaves and sauté until they are just getting crispy. The butter will just start to brown, but don’t let it burn.
Remove the sage leaves from the butter. (Lift the pan off the burner so the butter doesn’t burn while removing the leaves, then return to burner.)

Add the flour and whisk until combined.
Whisk in the milk and bouillion cube.
Stir until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan until melted.
Season with a few scrapings of nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the dish:

Pour half of the béchamel into the bottom of a baking dish.
Arrange the stuffed shells on top of the béchamel.
Pour the rest of the béchamel on top of the shells.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Bacon and Crispy Sage

How to bake Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells:

Bake at 375° F for about 30 minutes until bubbly and heated through.
Turn on the broiler for the last minute to nicely brown the top.
Remove from oven and top with crumbled bacon and crispy sage.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

For a vegetarian version, use vegetable bouillon in the béchamel sauce and use vegan bacon.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

Author: Kelly
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 5 1x

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Description

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Bacon and Crispy Sage -pasta shells with a butternut squash and mascarpone filling, baked in a parmesan cream sauce, topped with bacon and crispy sage.

Ingredients

Scale

20 (186g) jumbo pasta shells

For the filling:

½ tablespoon (7g) butter
3 tablespoons onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (finely minced)
2 ½ cups (510g) pureed roasted butternut squash
6 tablespoons (85g) mascarpone
¼ cup (28g) finely grated parmesan
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Few shavings of fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

For the béchamel:

2 ½ tablespoons (35g) butter
20 fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons (18g) flour
2 cups (454g) milk
1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
¼ cup (24g) finely grated parmesan
Few shavings of fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

4-5 slices crumbled cooked bacon

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