Savor the flavors of fall with these cozy spicy pumpkin and pesto cheese stuffed shells. This is a satisfying dinner for chilly nights when you’re craving Italian food and fall flavors at the same time.
Do you love using pumpkin in savory dishes? This one takes Italian food somewhere new: jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a basil pesto and ricotta cheese mixture, then baked in a spicy, creamy pumpkin vodka sauce.
Spicy Pumpkin and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells
Whose recipe it is: Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. The full recipe, with amounts and steps, is on her site.
What goes in it (names only, from the version we featured; check Tieghan’s card for amounts):
- basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- dried oregano
- fontina cheese
- fresh basil, for serving
- jumbo pasta shells
- kosher salt and pepper
- mozzarella
- olive oil
- pumpkin puree
- red bell pepper
- red pepper flakes
- ricotta cheese
- spicy Italian chicken sausage
- vodka
- whole milk
Why it stands out: most pumpkin recipes this time of year are sweet. This one puts pumpkin into a pasta sauce with sausage and three cheeses, so it reads as a proper fall dinner, not a dessert. It is a good one to make when you have half a can of pumpkin puree left over from baking.
Good to know: the sauce has vodka and chili flakes in it, so read Tieghan’s notes before you make it for small children. Stuffed shells are a natural make-ahead dish: you can fill and assemble the pan earlier in the day, keep it covered in the fridge and bake it when you need it. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
Get the full recipe: Spicy Pumpkin and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells at Half Baked Harvest
Thanks to Tieghan for the featured image and amazing recipe.
More stuffed shells and pumpkin dinners
- Baked spinach and ricotta stuffed shells
- Chicken stuffed shells with Alfredo sauce
- One-pot cheesy pumpkin pasta
- Pumpkin sausage lasagna
- Roasted pumpkin soup
- Out of pumpkin pie spice? What to use instead
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