Typically we think of pumpkin in dessert form – pie, latte, cookie, etc. Or maybe that’s just me and my sweet tooth talking. Either way, today’s dish helped me see pumpkin in a whole new savory light!

These Pumpkin Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells are just as mouthwatering as they sound. What’s not to love about a name like that? This is the perfect dish for when you’re craving Italian but also want to take advantage of fall flavors like pumpkin while they’re readily available.

This meal is a little more involved than regular shells and sauce, but I think you’ll agree it’s well worth the effort. I’d say this recipe is closer to the prep work of lasagna, just to give you an idea of the workload. Don’t tell anyone, but I think I like this dish more than lasagna. There, I said it. I won’t take it back.

Now that we’ve established the hierarchy of my personal pasta preferences, let’s dig into the recipe itself. There’s pumpkin puree, which you probably already guessed, as well as pesto. You might not put these two together, but trust me, it all works out in the end!

Along with those main ingredients, we have ground chicken sausage, bell peppers, whole milk, and three kinds of cheeses. You read that right. This recipe certainly lives up to the “Cheese Stuffed” part of its name!

Like I said before, the assembly process is much like lasagna. Brown the sausage and create the sauce with pumpkin, milk, pepper, and spices. While the sauce is thickening, cook the shells according to package directions. Mix ricotta and fontina cheese together along with the pesto and spoon this mixture into the shells. Place shells into a baking dish, pour the sauce over everything, and top with mozzarella! All that’s left to do is bake for about 20 minutes.