Description
This Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash is a hearty and flavorful fall-inspired dish featuring roasted butternut squash halves filled with a savory blend of Italian sausage, sautéed onions, garlic, baby spinach, sweet apples, fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and savory, ideal as a comforting dinner or festive side.
Ingredients
Scale
Butternut Squash
- 2 ½ pound butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Filling
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 apple, cored and diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ⅓ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
- ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Slice the squash: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Using a very sharp knife, slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. To make this easier, you can cut the ends off and microwave the squash for 2 minutes prior to slicing.
- Prep the squash: Scoop out the seeds from each squash half with a spoon. Lightly brush the inside of the squash with olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Bake the squash: Place the squash halves cut side down on a small baking sheet or baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the flesh is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Cook the sausage and veggies: While the squash bakes, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until browned. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and baby spinach. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the rest: Stir in the diced apple, chopped fresh sage, and rosemary. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the apple softens slightly. Turn off the heat and fold in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans.
- Remove the flesh: Once the squash halves are baked, remove from the oven and flip them cut side up. Using a spoon, scoop out some of the flesh to create a cavity for the filling, leaving enough squash to provide structure and texture. Save the removed flesh for another use such as mashed squash.
- Stuff the squash: Spoon the sausage and apple filling generously into the squash cavities. Place the stuffed squash halves under the oven broiler for about 5 minutes until the tops are golden and slightly crisp.
Notes
- This dish combines savory sausage with sweet apples and tart cranberries, enhanced by fresh herbs for a complex flavor perfect for fall dinners.
- Microwaving the butternut squash briefly before slicing makes it safer and easier to cut.
- Saved squash flesh can be mashed with butter and seasoning as a delicious side.
- Broiling the stuffed squash at the end adds a lovely golden crust on top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 982 kcal
- Sugar: 39 g
- Sodium: 1043 mg
- Fat: 54 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 36 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 111 g
- Fiber: 22 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
