Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed Shells

 

There are times I spend a couple days dreaming up a recipe.

This time it involved a pasta dish with roasted acorn squash.  That’s all I had figured out.  Originally it was going to be a ravioli pasta salad tossed with feta and roasted acorn squash seeds.  Then it morphed into more of a dinner dish and I was going to make whole wheat ravioli.

All of this was stopped when I realized I didn’t have eggs.  I couldn’t make pasta.

By the time I realized I didn’t have eggs, my mouth was already watering and I couldn’t stop.  I found leftover shells when I was searching frantically through my cupboards. While not homemade pasta, it would have to do!

While I still plan on making this into a ravioli dish, using shells makes this a more accessible recipe for those who don’t want to make pasta.  This recipe becomes even easier if you roast the squash the day before!  

As with all dishes, I recommend you buy organic butter.  The flavor is so much better, especially when paired with fresh rosemary!

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Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed Shells
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegetarian Main Course
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 4-6 oz pasta shells
  • 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup onion
  • 2 cups pureed acorn squash (from 1 roasted corn squash)
  • 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (divided in half)
  • Parmesan for topping
Instructions
  1. To roast acorn squash, cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down in a pan filled with about a 1/2" of water. Roast at 400˚ until squash is tender (mine took about 30 minutes.) Remove and let cool. Scoop out the insides and set aside (this can be done the day before as well.)
  2. Cook pasta according to package. You want it cooked to the point of where you would serve it but you don't want it soggy!
  3. In a bowl, stir together the acorn squash, ricotta cheese and Parmesan.
  4. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Finely dice onions and add to pan. Cook until onions are translucent and cooked through. Stir in the squash mixture and cook over low heat until warm.
  5. In a small skillet, heat butter and rosemary over low heat until ready to serve. Once everything is ready, spoon (or you can pipe) squash mixture into each shell and place in a serving bowl. Once all the mixture is used, drizzle the butter over shells and finish with fresh grated Parmesan.