Cheesy Butternut & Spinach Stuffed Shells with Crispy Prosciutto
Easy weeknight dinner made for comfort, these butternut and spinach stuffed shells come together in less than an hour and are full of flavor. With a garlic, shallot warm cheese white sauce and crispy prosciutto it is delicious.
Servings: 6
Calories:
Ingredients
- 12 oz Jumbo Shells
- 10 oz Frozen Spinach - defrosted
- 2 cups Butternut Squash Purée (15 oz can)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- ½ cup Ricotta Cheese
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves Galic - minced divided
- ¼ cup Butter
- a splash White Wine (about 2 TBSP)
- ¼ cup AP Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- ½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 3 oz Prosciutto
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, in boiling salted water, cook your pasta shells until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Between two paper towels, squeeze and pat dry your defrosted spinach and set aside.
- In a bowl, add your butternut squash purée, spinach, nutmeg, a pinch (¼ tsp) of salt and ricotta cheese. Stir until combined. Set Aside.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, add your shallot, a pinch (¼ tsp) of salt, your minced garlic and butter. Let butter melt and the shallot sweat until translucent and fragrant about 1 minute.
- Add in your splash of white wine (optional). Let it cook down for about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine, it should resemble wet sand.
- Add in your milk. Stir or whisk to get out the lumps to make it smooth. Add in your chicken stock Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in your shredded mozzarella cheese, stir until melted throughly and combined.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In a 9x13 casserole dish, pour 1/2 of your white cheese sauce on the bottom, spoon to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Spoon in a heaping spoonful of filling into each shell and place them down into the casserole dish on top of the white cheese sauce.
- Complete this step until the casserole dish is full with one layer of stuffed shells. You may not use all of the shells.
- Spoon the remaining ½ of the white cheese sauce on top of the stuffed shells. Spread it across as much as you can.
- Top with prosciutto and sprinkle on your grated Parmesan cheese.
- Baked for 25 minutes, until it's hot all the way through and the prosciutto is crispy.
