Pumpkin & Sage Stuffed Shells

These Lighter Pumpkin and Sage Stuffed Shells are the reliable Fall recipe with flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg and less than 300 calories per serving!

Mmmm A cook just LOVE Fall. Boots, scarves, sweaters……and um PUMPKIN everything. Seriously This kitchen is obsessed with all the flavors associated with this season – cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, sage, apples, butternut squash – yeah you get the idea.

Stuffed shells are one of the guilty pleasures and let me tell you the flavors that come from this are incredible! The aroma alone makes this dish a winner in the book, but on top of that the filling in the shells is super silky, the pumpkin marinara tastes notable all on its own (yes A cook may have been eating it with a spoon during the making of this recipe) and the combination of

What goes in

• 20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 (15 ounces) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons pecorino cheese
• 2 teaspoons. fresh sage, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon. basil
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon. salt
• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese, for topping at the end

How it comes together

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook pasta shells according to the package instructions, until al dente, and drain. Rinse with cold water and arrange on a baking sheet to cool until ready to stuff.
3. To make the filling, mix together pumpkin, pecorino cheese, egg white, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, salt and pepper in a wide bowl until all incorporated and hold nearby.
4. To make the marinara, drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and sauté garlic until the aroma shows. Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, pumpkin, pecorino cheese, sage, basil, nutmeg and salt mixing well until everything is combined. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to medium/low, cover and allow sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes. This is when you can stuff your shells.
5. Using a pastry bag (or a spoon), fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling.
6. In a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, spread about 3/4ths of the marinara in the bottom of the dish and arrange shells on top. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove foil, sprinkle with additional pecorino cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until hot/bubbly and cheese is melted.
8. Top with remaining sauce, serve and enjoy!