Have you figured out your Thanksgiving menu yet? I hope so! With three days to go I’ve got my fingers crossed that everyone has their menu planned and ingredients purchased. I know what I’m eating, but haven’t managed to pick up all my ingredients yet. I’ve got a trip to Trader Joe’s planned later today. Pray for me. Assuming you do know what you’re eating on Thanksgiving, hang on to this recipe for Christmas, New Years, or any old day you want something special for dinner. (Oh, and then there’s always the possibility that you thought you had your Thanksgiving menu figured out and now you’ve got a hankering for some stuffed shells. In which case, I’m so sorry!)
These shells start with roasted butternut squash and onions, which will go in the shells and in the sauce. There’s so much butternut squash goodness going on here! The vegan ricotta is made with my go-to mixture of cashew cream and tofu. But instead of seasoning it up with Italian spices like I normally do, I added some fresh sage to this batch. Once you’ve mixed up the ricotta in the food processor, stir in some of your roasted butternut squash and onion.
Next, make the sauce. Blend up the rest of your roasted squash and onion with some non-dairy milk and a touch of nutmeg. It should be smooth, creamy, and a bit thicker than butternut squash soup.
Ladle some of the sauce into a baking pan, then stuff your shells and nestle them together in the pan.
Bake until hot and bubbly, then ladle the rest of your sauce on top before serving.
Tips for Making Amazing Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Save time on the day of serving by making the sauce and ricotta a day in advance. The sauce will thicken up in the fridge, so you may need to thin it with a bit of non-dairy milk before assembling the dish. This recipe makes about 20 shells, but I recommend boiling a few extra because at least a couple will probably break during boiling or stuffing. Not into tofu? Leave it out and try doubling the cashews. Can’t have cashews? Skip them and double the tofu! Leftovers are freezer-friendly. Just seal them up and freeze. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, thaw and microwave or bake until they’re hot.
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