Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 6 ounces jumbo pasta shells — about 12 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese, part skim
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder — or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 1/4 teaspoon sage, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce — low sodium

Method

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
3. Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
4. Drain and place each on a baking sheet to cool.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, spices, and all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese.
6. Reserve the 1 tablespoon cheese for topping.
7. Spread pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that holds all the shells in a single layer.
8. Fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin mixture and place shells close together on top of the sauce.
9. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for 15 minutes more.