Sausage-stuffed Butternut Squash


This is a very rich, sweet dish.
To avoid palate fatigue, I recommend serving it with a spicy salad of arugula and radishes tossed in a fruity olive oil and fleur de sel.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, halved, seeded and roasted until fork-tender
Olive oil for sautéing
½ red onion, sliced
¾ lb. pork sausage removed from its casing (I like Hinkebein Hills Farm sausage, which is available at some farmers’ markets and Local Harvest Grocery)
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
3 cloves roasted garlic
¼ to ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup shredded Asiago or pecorino cheese

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Heat a large skillet to medium-high then add a little bit of olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the red onion to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.

• Add the pork sausage to the pan and stir to combine. Allow the pork to brown, stirring occasionally. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and remove the pan from the heat.

• Stir in the parsley, oregano and garlic. Season to taste with pepper. Stir in ¼ of the bread crumbs, adding more as needed to bind the onion and sausage.

• Spoon the sausage mixture into the wells in the squash and sprinkle the sausage with the cheese.

• Bake the squash until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.