My chorizo and pumpkin stuffed shells is a unique dish with a delicious combination of sauce ingredients that bake with the three-cheese stuffed shells. A store-bought pesto finishes the dish but you could also try my Garlicky Pea Shoot Pesto for another flavor boost.
While I love chorizo sausage and all those delicious spices mixed with pork, I really lightened up this dish by using the chorizo seasoning from Shawhan Farms on lean ground turkey. I didn’t sacrafice any of the flavor, but saved on a ton of calories and got rid of a lot of saturated fat. I’ve been using the spice quite a bit (be sure to try my Chorizo Flavored Dirty Rice recipe) and really like it.
I love the use of pumpkin puree and unsweetened almond milk in the sauce. The ingredients are unexpected but come together for a really yummy sauce. The recipe is made for two large dinner portions or four lighter lunch sized portions. 2-5 shells per person – you decide on the portion size that is right for you.
You can assemble this dish the day before, cover it and store in the fridge until ready to bake. That makes this a great make-ahead meal. Leftovers (if you have any), can be reheated in the oven or in the microwave.
If you like this pasta recipe, and I think you will, be sure to leave a comment below. Then, explore some of my other favorite pasta recipes here:
Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Capers, Lemon and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
Baked Pasta with Turkey Sausage
Chorizo & Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 10 Jumbo pasta shells
- ½ Lb. Ground Turkey
- Cooking Spray
- 1 Tsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Shawhan Farms Chorizo Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. Light butter
- 1 Large Garlic clove, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ Tsp. Dried Basil
- ¼ Tsp. Dried Oregano
- ¼ Tsp. Dried Rosemary, crumbled
- ¼ Tsp. Dried Thyme
- ¼ Tsp. Calabrian chili flakes
- 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
- 8 Oz. Canned Pumpkin purée, divided
- ½ Cup Plus 2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 Cup Fat-free Cottage cheese
- 1 Small Egg
- 1/4 Cup Store-bought basil pesto, divided
- Freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Low-fat Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ Cup Shredded Fontina cheese
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- More Parmesan to finish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Put it to the side.
- Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta shells and cook two minutes less than the package instructs. They will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the shells in a colander and let cool so they are easy to handle.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, chicken stock and 3/4 cup of pumpkin purée. Slowly stir in the milk and stir to combine everything. Add the chorizo seasoned turkey back into the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Let the sauce simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- While the sauce is simmering, make the filling. Mix the remaining ¼ cup pumpkin purée with the cottage cheese, egg and 2 tablespoons of pesto, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, toss together the Parmesan, Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses; add half to the pumpkin ricotta mixture. Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling. You will get between 8 – 10 shells. Put the filled shells to the side.
- Put half the sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Place the stuffed shells into sauce. Cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese mixture over the shells and transfer the casserole baking dish to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of pesto over the top of the baked shells. Serve with more Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy.
