Sausage Stuffed Squash

With fall arrives my absolute favorite veggie: squash! I love all varieties and will be cooking probably every single one in the coming weeks. This dish combines the sweetness of roasted sweet dumpling squash with spicy sausage, breadcrumbs, and parmesan. I always scoop out the flesh of the squash and mix it with the stuffing mixture, it adds flavor and really helps to intensify and highlight the fresh squash.

Read more for the full recipe!

Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) sweet dumpling squash
2/3 lb chicken sausage (I used hot Italian, but mild is fine), casings removed
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Step by Step Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Cut tops of squash and scoop out seeds

3. Rub 1 tbsp of olive oil inside the squash and roast, face down, for 25-30 minutes, until soft

3. In a medium saucepan, saute onion, celery, and carrot in remaining olive oil for 3-5 minutes

4. Add sausage and cook through, breaking up into small chunks, 4-6 minutes

5. Add sausage and vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside

6. Remove squash from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes

7. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out roasted flesh and add to bowl with sausage mixture. Be careful not to pierce the skin of the squash. It must remain intact.

8. Mix squash with sausage mixture.

9. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, red pepper and parsley and mix thoroughly

10. Carefully spoon filling mixture into the hollowed out squash. Pack it in with the back of a spoon

11. Bake stuffed squash for another 15 minutes, until filling starts to brown

12. Serve with parsley and black pepper