Description
This Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe is a hearty and flavorful fall-inspired dish featuring roasted butternut squash filled with a savory mixture of Italian sausage, apples, fresh herbs, spinach, cranberries, and pecans. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and savory, making it an ideal comforting dinner for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
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
- â…“ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Slice the squash: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. For easier slicing, you may cut off the ends and microwave the squash for 2 minutes before cutting.
- Prep the squash: Scoop out the seeds from each half using a spoon. Lightly coat the cut sides of the squash with olive oil, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- 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 tender.
- 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, and cook until just browned. Add the diced onions, minced garlic, and baby spinach, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Add the rest of the filling ingredients: Stir in the diced apple, fresh sage, and rosemary. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes until the apple softens slightly. Turn off the heat and fold in the dried cranberries and roughly chopped pecans.
- Remove the flesh: Once the butternut squash halves are fully cooked, remove from the oven and flip them over. Scoop out some of the squash flesh to create room for the filling, leaving enough flesh to maintain structure. Save the removed flesh for mashed butternut squash or another use.
- Stuff the squash: Spoon the apple sausage filling evenly into each squash half. Turn on your oven’s broiler and bake the stuffed squash for 5 minutes or until the tops turn golden and slightly crisp.
Notes
- This dish combines sweet and savory fall flavors using apples, cranberries, and fresh herbs paired with Italian sausage and butternut squash.
- You can save the scooped-out butternut squash flesh for making mashed squash or soup to minimize waste.
- Broiling the stuffed squash at the end adds a lovely golden finish and slight crunch on top.
- For easier slicing of the butternut squash, microwaving it briefly before cutting helps soften the exterior.
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
