There’s something incredibly comforting about a warm, bubbly pasta bake, and these Pumpkin & Gouda Stuffed Shells with Brown Butter & Sage Alfredo Sauce are the epitome of fall comfort food. The sweetness of the pumpkin pairs beautifully with the smoky gouda, all enveloped in a rich and nutty brown butter sauce. It’s a dish that feels special enough for a Sunday supper, yet simple enough to bring together on a weeknight.
Cool autumn Sundays always remind me of my dad, James, and the wonderful aromas coming from his kitchen. These hearty stuffed shells, with their creamy sauce, bring back that same feeling of warmth and love, a true taste of home.
What Makes This Dish So Special
- Flavor Profile: A perfect balance of sweet pumpkin, savory gouda, and nutty brown butter sage.
- Texture: Creamy, cheesy, and satisfying with perfectly cooked jumbo pasta shells.
- Occasion: Ideal as a cozy fall pasta dish for family dinners or gatherings.
- Difficulty: Simple enough for cooks of all levels to master.
- Time: A rewarding meal that comes together for a bake in under an hour.
What You’ll Need From the Pantry
For the Shells & Filling:
- 20–22 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 3/4 cups pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup shredded young gouda
- 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- Optional: 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella for topping
For the Brown Butter Sage Alfredo:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6–8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Squeeze of lemon, to finish
My Trusted Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
A Big, Sturdy Baking Dish
My 9×13-inch dish is a true workhorse; it gives the shells plenty of room and ensures everything bakes to bubbly perfection.
My Secret for Easy Filling
A simple piping bag makes filling the shells so much tidier and quicker, but a zip-top bag with the corner snipped works just as well in a pinch!
Let’s Cook This Together, Step by Step
One: Warming Up the Kitchen
First things first, let’s get the oven heated to 375°F (190°C). A little tip from my kitchen: lightly oiling your baking dish now will save you cleanup time later!
Two: A Quick Boil for Our Shells
Boil your jumbo pasta shells in generously salted water. I always cook them just a minute or two less than the package directs so they don’t get mushy in the oven. Drain them and lay them on a tray to cool; this prevents them from sticking together.
Three: Crafting the Heart of the Dish
In a medium bowl, it’s time to create that delicious pumpkin filling. Combine the pumpkin purée, gouda, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, grated garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped sage. Stir it all together until it’s wonderfully smooth and combined.
Four: Creating That Liquid Gold
Now for that incredible Alfredo Sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The secret is to keep swirling the pan until you see little nutty brown bits form at the bottom. This is where all the flavor is!
Five: Sizzling the Sage
Add the whole sage leaves to the brown butter and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds until they’re fragrant and crisp. Then, stir in the minced garlic for just 20 seconds more, you don’t want it to burn.
Six: Making It Wonderfully Creamy
Carefully pour in the heavy cream and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, just until it thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. A tiny squeeze of lemon at the end really brightens up all the flavors.
Seven: Building Our First Layer of Flavor
Spoon about half of your beautiful brown butter sage alfredo sauce into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. This creates a lovely bed for the stuffed shells to nestle into.
Eight: Filling Each Shell with Love
It’s time to stuff! Fill each cooled pasta shell with about two tablespoons of the pumpkin and gouda mixture. As you fill them, arrange them snugly in the sauce-lined baking dish.
Nine: A Final Blanket of Sauce
Gently spoon the rest of the creamy alfredo sauce over the tops of the shells. If you’re a fan of extra cheese (who isn’t?), now is the time to sprinkle that optional mozzarella over the top.
Ten: Into the Oven It Goes
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10-12 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce is bubbling and the edges are turning a lovely golden brown.
Eleven: The Hardest Part—Letting It Rest
Patience is key! Let the stuffed shells recipe rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This helps everything set. For a final touch, you can garnish with a few more fresh sage leaves, frying them for a moment in a dab of butter makes them extra special.
Twelve: Time to Gather ‘Round the Table
Serve this delightful fall comfort food hot, perhaps with a simple, crisp salad on the side to complete the meal.
A Little Note on Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate and can vary based on the specific ingredients and quantities used. The values are calculated for the entire recipe and may differ per serving.
If You’d Like a Lighter Touch
- Whole Wheat Shells: For an increase in fiber, you can substitute the jumbo pasta shells with a whole wheat variety.
- Lighter Cream: To reduce the fat content, you can use half-and-half or even evaporated milk in the Alfredo sauce instead of heavy cream, though the texture will be slightly less rich.
- Butternut Squash Swap: If you have it on hand, roasted and puréed butternut squash makes a wonderful substitute for pumpkin purée and offers a similar sweet, earthy flavor.
How I Love to Serve These Shells
- With a Crisp Green Salad: A simple salad with a vinaigrette dressing offers a refreshing contrast to the richness of the pumpkin pasta.
- With Roasted Vegetables: A side of roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts would complement the fall flavors of this dish beautifully.
- With Crusty Bread: Don’t let any of that delicious brown butter sauce go to waste! Serve with warm, crusty bread for dipping.
A Few Little Secrets for Perfect Shells
- On Cooking the Shells: Boiling the jumbo shells for the full time indicated on the package can cause them to become too soft and fall apart during baking. Always cook them al dente.
- On Choosing Your Pumpkin: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin purée. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced, which will drastically alter the flavor of your savory dish.
- On Browning the Butter: When making brown butter, watch it carefully. It can go from perfectly nutty to burnt in a matter of seconds. As soon as you see golden-brown specks and smell a nutty aroma, it’s ready.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
This stuffed shells dish stores wonderfully. Simply allow it to cool completely before covering the baking dish tightly with foil or transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire dish in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
From My Kitchen to Yours
There’s a special kind of magic in sharing a meal that’s been made with care. This dish is more than just a recipe; it’s a taste of autumn, a feeling of warmth, and a memory in the making. I hope these Pumpkin & Gouda Stuffed Shells bring as much comfort and joy to your table as they do to mine.
Your Questions, Answered
“Can I get a head start and make this ahead of time?”
Absolutely! You can assemble the entire dish, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time since it will be starting from cold.
“This sounds lovely! Is it possible to freeze it?”
Yes, this dish freezes quite well. Assemble the shells in a freezer-safe baking dish but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed.
“What’s the best kind of gouda to use for this recipe?”
I recommend using a young, smoked gouda. Its creamy texture melts beautifully, and the subtle smoky flavor is a wonderful complement to the sweet pumpkin and earthy sage without being overpowering.
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Pumpkin & Gouda Stuffed Shells With Brown Butter & Sage Alfredo Sauce
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There’s something incredibly comforting about a warm, bubbly pasta bake, and these Pumpkin & Gouda Stuffed Shells with Brown Butter & Sage Alfredo Sauce are the epitome of fall comfort food. The sweetness of the pumpkin pairs beautifully with the smoky gouda, all enveloped in a rich and nutty brown butter sauce.
Ingredients
- 20–22 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 3/4 cups pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup shredded young gouda
- 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- Optional: 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella for topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6–8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Squeeze of lemon, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Boil jumbo shells in salted water until slightly undercooked, drain, and set aside to cool.
- Mix pumpkin purée, gouda, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, grated garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped sage to make filling.
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat until golden with nutty brown bits.
- Add sage leaves, fry until crisp, then stir in minced garlic briefly.
- Pour in cream, simmer 2-3 minutes, then whisk in Parmesan, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Spread half of the sauce into the bottom of baking dish.
- Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and arrange in dish.
- Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle mozzarella if using.
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10-12 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving and garnish with extra sage if desired.
Notes
Use 100% pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling). Cook pasta shells al dente so they hold together. Watch brown butter closely to avoid burning.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: pumpkin stuffed shells, gouda pasta, fall comfort food, brown butter alfredo