white wine pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells
If this isn’t a skillet full o’ fall, then I’m not a food blogger recipe person dude.
So I know it’s only mid-October, but I am getting amped about Thanksgiving. Granted, ours isn’t looking the same this year (more to say about that later), but even an adapted Thanksgiving is soul-nourishing enough.
This isn’t to say I’ve set my table already or nailed down absolutely everything about the occasion, but am planning and prepping loosely, including making sure I have the needed days off at work, organizing Friendsgiving, and starting my 2023 Thanksgiving guide here on FMG. Eep. I love this season, and hopefully this year I’ll get to truly and deeply enjoy it.
Even if you’re not quite peeping through the telescope to Thanksgiving, or if you don’t even celebrate, these White Wine Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells are an autumn treat. Stuffed shells are an indulgence I try to keep for special periods, and I think the cozier weather calls for whipping out a true treat of a supper every so often. Said that yesterday, I think, in my butternut squash black bean taco recipe. And I guess if you take shit at face value, I’ve been treating myself every damn day this week.
Honestly, that’s the nature of the present, and sometimes you gotta embrace that.
Don’t Whine, Have Wine
Stuffed shells must involve SO MUCH CHEESE, else they’re not worth the labor. Granted, the labor isn’t that bad, but if there isn’t 3-4 cheeses in the arsenal, then why bother?
In this case, we have 4. Hubba hubba.
I start off this fun project by boiling off the pasta shells. Since you don’t have to pay much attention to them as they cook up, you can multitask by prepping the sauce while the water sizzles away.
Next, the pumpkin sauce. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet that’s large enough to accommodate the finished dish, you’ll have to transfer the sauce later; either way, use a big pan for this component.
Melt down some butter and cook a few shallots, then throw in garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Swirl in tomato paste, then pour in a good heap of white wine. Stir everything around to loosen up the tomato paste and incorporate all those aromatics.
Then, the pumpkin puree and a good hit of heavy cream. I often use canned coconut milk instead since I’m lactose intolerant and if I can cut dairy without compromising the dish, I will (heavy cream seems to be a HUGE trigger for my stomach woes) but if you want to go full-out, use cream. Half and half works also. Simmer down the sauce until it’s thick and well-incorporated. Taste for salt and pepper and add as much as you need of both.
Come Out of Your Shell
At this point, if you need to move your sauce over to an oven-safe baking dish, do. I recommend a 9 x 13 inch fixture.
For the filling, we’ve got whole milk ricotta, spinach (I use frozen, which I microwave, squeeze, and cool before I even start anything else in the recipe) for some green, shredded fontina, and parmesan. Yep, told you I wasn’t fucking around with the cheeses. Stir it all up until evenly incorporated.
Stuff each shell with a big spoonful of filling and arrange into the sauce. Scatter cubes of mozzarella over top, then bake until real nice and bubbly and gooey and unnnnf. I like some fresh basil and a hunk of crusty bread to serve.
To prep ahead, assemble the shells as directed, but don’t bake. Cover and put the pan in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Especially if you’re scheduling out your dishes on Thanksgiving, making ahead is a handy dandy method and the recipe isn’t compromised in any way.
A tip: complete your supper with a Honeycrisp Apple and Blue Cheese Autumn Salad and, for a little post-meal treat, a Pumpkin Butter Old Fashioned or, if you’re entertaining, the Caramel Pumpkin Sangria. I could use a glass of that right now…even though it’s 7 am as I’m typing all this. Maybe later.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Endless cans of pumpkin? No problem:
Chipotle Pumpkin Enchilada Chili
Pumpkin Sage Butter Brioche Dinner Rolls
white wine pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo pasta shells
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 shallots, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half and half/canned coconut milk)
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1 10-oz bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Saute the shallots until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes for another minute. Swirl in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced, about 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as you go. Stir in the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Gently simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Transfer to an oven-safe dish if needed.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, spinach, fontina, and parmesan. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into each shell and arrange in the skillet. Repeat until all the shells/filling is used. Scatter the cubed mozzarella evenly on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and turning golden in spots. Serve hot with fresh herbs, as desired.
