I’ve been off dairy for a bit while breastfeeding, and I’d have to say the thing I miss the most is dairy-filled comfort food like pasta with generous amounts of cheese. This dish, however, didn’t leave me feeling like I was missing out on anything. And I don’t think I have to convince anyone that the flavors of bacon, sage, caramelized onion, and pumpkin meld together into a perfect cold-weather fall meal.
Pumpkin and Bacon Stuffed Shells with Creamy Caramelized Onion Sauce
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 4-5 Servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces jumbo shells
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup boiling hot water
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- Olive oil
- Pinch of brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 8 strips thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 8-ounce container almond milk ricotta (or cow’s milk ricotta if it doesn’t need to be dairy-free)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 8 large sage leaves, diced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add shells and cook until al dente. Reserve about ⅓ cup pasta water, then drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a bowl, pour hot water over cashews. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once oil is warm, add onion. Cook, stirring until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and add a pinch of brown sugar. Continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until caramelized. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Drain soaking cashews. In a blender, add caramelized onions, drained cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend until very smooth. Add a little reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until mixture is desired consistency (you want the sauce thick but pourable). Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together bacon, ricotta, pumpkin, and sage leaves. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a medium sized baking dish, add about ⅔ cup of the sauce to the bottom of the pan. Fill each shell with about 1.5-2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture. Arrange filled shells in baking dish, then pour remaining sauce over top. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until filling is hot. Serve.
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