Cashew-Base | Dairy-Free | Dinner | Gluten-Free | Keto | Lunch | Recipe | Sugar-Free | Vegan | Vegetarian | 

Comfort food starts calling my name around this time of year. The transition from Summer to Fall is bittersweet, but as all of the gorgeous Fall produce starts to roll in, it is definitely exciting! These creamy butternut squash and spinach stuffed shells are an excellent weeknight dinner the whole family can enjoy!

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy goodness. Does it get much better? The creamed spinach is mixed with garlic and sage, topped with a spoonful of JOI. The smell of that sage and garlic wafting through the kitchen is enough to make anyone excited for Fall. 

Add to it a creamy mash of butternut squash and we’ve got a magical dinner waiting to happen. Make this part easy on yourself and grab a steamable bag of butternut squash. Mash the steamed squash with garlic, JOI, and salt. It makes the perfect “cheese” alternative to stuffing those shells. 

All of those creamy shells are nestled into a baking dish and cooked for about 15 minutes in the oven just until all of the squash and spinach mixture is bubbly and delicious! 

Ingredients

1 bag of steamable butternut squash
4 cups spinach
2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Chicken-less Vegan Seasoning Salt
15 jumbo pasta shells (can be gluten-free)
2 tablespoons JOI Cashew base
3 sage leaves  

Directions

1. Steam the squash according to the package.
2.  Mash and mix with 1 Tablespoon of JOI, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 tsp salt. Set aside
3. On a skillet over medium high, start to wilt your spinach.
4. In a small bowl whisk 1 tablespoon of JOI, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. 
5. Finely chop the sage and sprinkle in the spinach
6. Pour the JOI mixture over the spinach and let the spinach completely cook down. 
7. Meanwhile, boil your pasta shells according to the package and let them cool.
8. Fill each shell with a spoonful of squash and top with a spoonful of spinach. 
9. Arrange the shells in the baking dish and bake at 350 for 15 minutes 

Craving more pasta dishes? We got you. Checkout all of all of our vegan & dairy free pasta recipes for lunch or dinner!