Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Ricotta stuffed shells

I don't like to admit it, but I kind of have a problem when it comes to browsing Pinterest. I guess I wouldn't call it a problem per say, but I go on there more then I would like. I just can't help myself. There is sooo much stuff on there to look at! I stick to the necessities though; food, fashion, and fitness. Sometimes it dawns on me that my browsing is a waste of time and I need to stop. Other days, like the day I found this recipe, I feel like the hour I just wasted to find a single recipe was well spent. I have pinned about 130 recipes, and this is the only one I have made. In reality, I probably will not make more then 5. I would really like to though, because it would be super hard to choose those 5! I will post the original recipe I found, but I did not fully follow it. I did not measure my ingredients or have a lemon, so I could not make the recommended sauce. I wish I had had a lemon though, I bet that would have been good! My version is posted after the original recipe.

The original recipe from: http://www.prouditaliancook.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-stuffed-shells-with.html

I modified it a little for my own preferences, but it is by no means my recipe.

Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Ricotta Stuffed Shells with a lemon sage butter sauce

jumbo pasta shells
1 butternut squash
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic – chopped
½ cup Fresh or frozen spinach- or more if you want
1 egg
Salt and pepper is optional
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

1.       Peel, chop and toss squash olive oil, roast at 425F for 15-20 minutes.

2.      Cook your jumbo pasta shells according to directions.

3.      In a bowl add ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic,  spinach, egg, your cooled down roasted squash, lemon zest. Mix together, will not be a uniform mix. You will want there to be some chunks of squash.

4.      Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a buttered baking dish.

5.      Make a sage brown butter sauce by melting 1 stick of butter in a saute pan until golden brown and bubbly

6.      Add at least 10 sage leaves until slightly crisp. Turn off heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice.

7.      Place your shells in a 400F oven until heated through around 20-25 minutes. When finished spoon your warm sage sauce all over and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

I did not use the lemon, egg, or sage. I also did not measure the ricotta cheese. Instead of putting parmesan cheese in the mixture (I only had a tiny bit of parmesan at home), I made a light sauce with it and poured it over the top. I also only used half of a butternut squash and a couple of handfuls of torn-up spinach.  I cooked about 14 shells, and had enough of the mixture to fill about 12. This recipe says it will stuff about 12 shells, but I think you can get a lot more out of it.

Here is my finished product: