Description
Hearty sausage stuffed butternut squash warms winter dinner tables with Italian sausage, herbs, and cheese nestled inside roasted squash. Comforting flavors blend perfectly, inviting diners to savor each delicious Mediterranean-inspired bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 butternut squash (medium or large)
- 14 oz (397 g) spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 oz (113 g) fresh spinach
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 3 tbsps olive oil (2 tbsps for roasting, 1 tbsp for filling)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt (or more to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Slice butternut squash lengthwise, removing seeds. Coat with olive oil, seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Roasting Squash: Place squash cut-side down on rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes until flesh becomes fork-tender and golden.
- Flavor Building: In a large skillet, sauté onions over medium-high heat until caramelized. Add ground sausage, garlic, and Italian seasoning, breaking meat into delicate crumbles and cooking until deep brown.
- Enhancing Filling: Fold in fresh spinach leaves, allowing them to wilt seamlessly into the sausage mixture. Integrate dried cranberries and chopped pecans for a complex flavor profile and textural contrast.
- Final Assembly: Extract roasted squash from oven. Gently hollow out centers, maintaining a sturdy squash border. Generously fill each half with the robust sausage mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Finishing Touch: Return stuffed squash to oven for 5-7 minutes to harmonize flavors. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and delicate thyme leaves, creating a visually appealing and aromatic dish ready to serve.
Notes
- Squash Preparation Hack: Cut squash carefully and symmetrically to ensure even roasting and stable stuffing base.
- Texture Perfection Tip: Roast squash cut-side down to create caramelized, tender flesh without drying out.
- Flavor Enhancement Technique: Caramelize onions slowly to develop deep, sweet undertones before adding sausage.
- Ingredient Balance Strategy: Mix crunchy pecans and tart cranberries to create complex flavor profile and textural contrast in the filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg