Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash
Stuffing vegetables is a really easy and versatile cooking method that leads to very easy dishes. Plus, they are great make-ahead dishes where you can stuff the veggies ahead of time then bake it when it’s almost dinnertime.
Today, I’ll be trying out a bit of an experiment that I think will lead to delicious results, I will be stuffing some butternut squash with some delicious things like Italian sausage, Gruyere cheese, farro, and other great things that should make this a dish to remember.
Let’s do it!
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Serves 4-5
2 butternut squash (preferably with a large bulb end)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 Italian sausage links, hot or mild, casings removed. (or 8 ounces of Italian sausage meat)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of minced marjoram leaves (oregano or sage will work too)
1/2 a small head of radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
2 cups of cooked farro
8 ounces of Gruyere cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil.
Cut the bulbous end of the butternut squash away from the skinnier end (Save that part for another day). Cut the bulb in half, then use a stiff spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. Cut a little sliver of squash at the bottom of each half so it can stay stable while it bakes. Brush the squash with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place it cut-side down on the pan, then roast for about 15 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash starts to brown.
To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a medium pan, then add the onions and cook over medium-low for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to soften. Add the Italian sausage, then cook, breaking up the meat with a potato masher or wooden spoon, until the sausage browned and mostly cooked. Add the garlic, marjoram, radicchio, and farro, then cook for about 3 minutes, or until everything is warmed through and the radicchio leaves have wilted. Add 3/4 of the grated cheese, then stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully flip the squash so that the cut side is up, then generously load both ends with the stuffing. Top with more cheese, then roast for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the squash is fork tender.
It’s amazing when one of your experiments goes so right. There’s a ton of flavor in the stuffing with the sausage, the radicchio, and the cheese, and that sweet, tender butternut squash to contain it all!
