I love experimenting in my kitchen when I get the time. With a little help from San Giorgio, I made this delicious stuffed shell dish with creamy sweet potato sauce! Enjoy!
We’re so close to the Holidays, guys! Big meals and celebrations are right around the corner, and I’ve partnered up with San Giorgio to highlight one more recipe you can try out during your upcoming Holiday gatherings. If you missed my first two recipes with San Giorgio, I suggest you check out my Autumn Pasta Salad and Hearty, Thai Chicken Noodle Soup as options for any upcoming potlucks or family parties.
I decided to give you all a unique take on one of my favorite childhood dishes, stuffed shells! Growing up, my mom made stuffed shells often. It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I realized why -- they’re so easy! As with a lot of the others I’ve highlighted on StylishlyTaylored, this stuffed shells recipe prioritizes simplicity while preserving taste.
Why? Because I stand alongside San Giorgio to encourage you to spread kindness in your community through outward actions, and to remind you that communities are strengthened by prioritizing self-kindness. In my Autumn Pasta Salad post, I reminded you that food is a catalyst to bringing friends together, encouraging you to ignite a strong sense of community through gathering. In my Thai Chicken Noodle Soup post, I mentioned that it’s equally important to give back to those who take care of us (for me, it’s my mom!) But I also wanted to highlight that each of us are a vital part of our respective communities, and as a result, it’s equally important to take care of ourselves. San Giorgio has shown dedication to both efforts through their recent #SanGiorgio4Good campaign where for every purchase of San Giorgio pasta, the company donated a serving of pasta to an area food bank - a perfect example of how kindness can be spread on all levels this Holiday season. Therefore, I’m excited to share this recipe that reiterates self-kindness by minimizing effort without sacrificing the satisfaction that comes from a great meal.
Stuffed Shells w/ Sweet Potato
Difficulty level: Easy
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 people (double the recipe to serve larger parties of ~25 people)
Credit: StylishlyTaylored.com
Ingredients
1 Box San Giorgio Jumbo Shells
1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
1 (8 ounce) bag shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of onion powder
3 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons oil, vegetable or coconut
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk, whole
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of curry powder
1 1/2 cup milk, whole
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried sage (optional)
PREP:
In a large pot, boil water and cook San Giorgio Jumbo Shells al dente. Strain and set aside.While the pasta is cooling, boil water in a medium pan.Add in cubed sweet potatoes and cook until soft. Strain and blend in a food processor with 1 tbsp. of oil and 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Set aside. In a large pot, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add in butter and when melted, whisk in flour until smooth. Stir in the other 1 cup of milk, cinnamon, and curry powder until mixture is homogeneous. Add blended sweet potato from Step 3 and chicken broth, remove from heat, and blend until desired consistency is reached.Add dried sage into sauce and set aside until ready to serve.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, all of the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and onion powder until combined. Stuff cooked shells with mixture and place in a cast iron skillet or glass, baking dish. Mix the second half of mozzarella to the sweet potato and sage sauce, and pour over stuffed shells. Bake shells for 45 minutes or until the shells are set.
Easy enough, right? The best thing about stuffed shells is that they’re so customizable. Don’t like sweet potatoes? Consider using pumpkin puree instead. Don’t like cream sauce? Drop the sweet potato, add the sage to your filling instead - the shells will pair perfectly with your favorite red sauce.
Amongst gatherings and giving, don’t forget to prioritize yourself this Holiday season. Don’t be afraid to use your favorite San Giorgio to make a pasta dish you crave - to nourish your happiness is to feed the positivity of a strong community. And with that, cheers to you (and your community)! Be sure to share pictures of how you’re using #SanGiorgio4Good this Holiday season by hash-tagging your photos and tagging me, @stylishlytaylored!
Still hungry? Stay tuned for more of my favorite Fall recipes using San Giorgio pasta!
Don’t feel like cooking? Don’t sweat it. Check out posts under my SOCIAL Tab for quality spots to hit up for those days when you’re not feelin’ so creative.
Until next time, keep cooking!