Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells -- Comfort Food for a Week That Asked Everything of You

Six weeks to the Banchan Labs launch. The to-do list has become a Notion with subpages. I have hired two part-time packers — Mina, a Korean-American college student, and Grace, a retired Korean grandmother who saw my Instagram and wrote me an email saying she wanted to pack boxes "because I miss making things." Grace is sixty-eight. She speaks excellent English. She has already read all eight of my recipe cards and told me, kindly, that the doenjang jjigae card "could be longer." I rewrote the card. She was right.

I love Grace. Hiring a Korean grandmother was, I realize, not the strategic move it looks like. It was a move I made from the heart and it happens to be exactly right. Grace is giving the company a soul it would not have without her.

Eunji has been messaging me feedback on the recipe cards. She has opinions about every one. She made me redo the japchae card because she said I had not given enough detail about noodle handling. She is correct. I added a note about rinsing and stirring. The cards are now more precise.

James got the all-clear from his boss Tuesday to wind down his Microsoft responsibilities before February 1. They are being extraordinarily generous. He will be "available for transition questions" for three months after his last day, but effectively free. We are going to get dinner with his team in January as a farewell.

Kevin called Sunday. He and Lisa are going to Portland Hawaii for a week at the end of December — their first real vacation as a married couple. He said, "Steph. We're going to Kauai. I've never been anywhere tropical. I do not know what I'm doing. Tell me what to pack." I said, "Sunscreen. Not an ounce of coffee roasting equipment. Do not bring your laptop." He laughed. He said, "I was going to bring the V60." I said, "Kevin. Leave the V60. Drink the hotel coffee like a normal person." He said, "Fine."

Karen had a rough Monday. She had a medication flare that made her nauseated and unsteady for six hours. David called at noon and I drove out at 12:30. I stayed until Tuesday morning. We ate juk. I slept in my old bed. I was twelve for a few minutes in the middle of the night, tracking the sounds of the house, listening for Karen's breathing. She was fine. She was always going to be fine on Monday. She needed, though, for me to be there, and I was there.

Christmas is in three weeks. I have not bought a single gift. I have added "Christmas shopping" to my list. I will do it Tuesday.

The recipe this week is jjampong, which I have been updating for the recipe card. My final recipe: 2 tablespoons neutral oil heated with 2 tablespoons gochugaru for the oil infusion. 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, 2 scallion whites, all minced, added to hot oil. Then 4 cups anchovy stock, 1 cup napa cabbage, 1/2 onion thinly sliced, 1/2 zucchini thinly sliced, 2 shiitakes thinly sliced. Simmer ten minutes. Add 1/2 pound seafood mix (shrimp, squid, mussels). Simmer five. Serve over thick wheat noodles. Top with scallion greens. Eat immediately, with a big spoon. Eunji-approved.

I wrote the jjampong card, but when it came time to feed myself at the end of a Tuesday that included a Notion subpage crisis, a last-minute run to Karen’s, and a conversation with Grace about whether my doenjang card was “long enough” (it was not), I needed something that could go into the oven and not need me for forty-five minutes. These butternut squash and sausage stuffed shells are exactly that kind of dinner — warm, filling, and forgiving enough to survive a distracted cook. They also, I will note, make excellent leftovers for the kind of week where Christmas shopping is still on the to-do list.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella, divided
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom. Set aside.
2. Cook the shells. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the jumbo shells 2 minutes less than the package directions (they will finish cooking in the oven). Drain, rinse with cold water, and lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.
3. Brown the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan.
4. Cook the squash. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butternut squash cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the bowl with the sausage and let cool 5 minutes.
5. Make the filling. To the sausage and squash mixture, add the ricotta, beaten egg, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Stuff the shells. Using a spoon, generously fill each shell with the sausage-squash mixture (about 2 heaping tablespoons per shell) and arrange them open side up in the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
7. Top and bake. Spoon the remaining 1 cup of marinara over and around the stuffed shells. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
8. Rest and serve. Let the shells rest 5 minutes before serving. Scatter fresh parsley on top and serve directly from the baking dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 | Protein: 29g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 51g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 820mg