Why does the Recommended section in the Start menu keep showing files I never opened?

Why does the Recommended section in the Windows 11 Start menu keep showing files and apps I never opened, even after I turn off "Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer" in Settings? Why does it sometimes still list documents I only previewed once, and why does clearing the list only work until the next restart?

Could this be a known bug with the Start menu's recommendations, a synced activity history issue, or something tied to my Microsoft account? And is there a way to disable the Recommended section entirely without breaking the rest of the Start menu?