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Stuffed Shells With Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Stuffed shells with pumpkin cream sauce are layered with ricotta filling and baked until bubbly, with golden mozzarella on top. The creamy orange sauce simmers with garlic, pumpkin purée, and warm spices for a smooth finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

jumbo pasta shells
  • 20 jumbo pasta shells Cooked al dente.
ricotta filling
  • 2 cup ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 0.5 cup parmesan
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper
pumpkin cream sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 3 clove garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella For topping.
  • 0.5 tsp fresh sage For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake setup
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish, keeping it ready for layering.
Make pumpkin cream sauce
  1. Sauté the minced garlic over heat for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes, then stir until smooth.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it thickens slightly and looks cohesive.
Assemble the stuffed shells
  1. Pour most of the pumpkin cream sauce into the greased baking dish, spreading it into an even base.
  2. Mix the ricotta filling by combining ricotta, egg, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until evenly blended.
  3. Stuff each cooked jumbo shell with the ricotta filling and nestle them into the sauce in the baking dish.
  4. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells so they’re partially covered, then scatter shredded mozzarella over the top.
Bake and garnish
  1. Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes until bubbly around the edges and golden on top.
  2. Garnish with fresh sage right after baking so it stays bright and fragrant.

Notes

For best texture, keep the shells al dente so they don’t turn mushy during baking. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat in the baking dish at 350F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the pumpkin cream sauce can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and expect a thinner sauce.