I’m a huge fan of winter squash and I think this dish is a great way to use my favorite - acorn squash. It’s stuffed with sweet and tart honeycrisp apples, fresh thyme and sage, spiced up Italian sausage, and yes, even more squash. The natural sweetness of the acorn squash pairs perfectly with this medley of super comforting fall flavors.

This recipe makes enough for two people. However, you may have some extra filling. See *Notes at the bottom for some yummy suggestions of how to use up the leftover filling!

Backstory:

I am a squash fanatic.

Okay, maybe not a “fanatic”, but I love squash, especially all the winter varieties (think: spaghetti squash, butternut, acorn, delicata). My absolute favorite, though? Acorn squash.

For one, it’s adorable. BUT - it also has an amazing and natural slightly sweet flavor, making it incredibly versatile. You could roast it and simply eat it on its own with lots of butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. But, I figured the sweetness of the squash would be a great foundation for a combination of sweet and savory flavors!

The Italian sausage has a ton of spices, the apple is sweet and tart, and the butternut squash adds both sweetness and starchiness. And the sage brown butter pecan topping adds what I think, is a necessary sweet and nutty finish to the dish. Trust me, you won’t want to skip it.

This dish felt particularly special to me as the perfect transition into fall, even when I’m in California and still in 70/80 degree weather. I was missing all the things I love about Fall on the East Coast: the crisp autumn air, the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, apple and pumpkin picking. The flavors I’ve added to this dish gave me a little taste of Fall back home, even when I’m thousands of miles away.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 large acorn squash

• 8 oz mild Italian sausage

• 1 cup butternut squash, cubed

• 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

• 1/2 cup cooked wild rice

• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

• 2 tsp fresh sage, minced

• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds

Sage Brown Butter Pecan Topping:

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• A few leaves of sage

Additional ingredients:

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated for serving

• kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, extra virgin olive oil, dried spices: rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, cinnamon

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with rack on the middle.

2. Prep the squash for roasting. Cut squash from stem to root (not through the fat part of the squash, and yes, I’m emphasizing this because I made this mistake once). Brush the inside with a little olive oil (maybe 1/2 tbsp) and season with some salt, ground pepper and a dash of cinnamon (maybe 1/8 tsp)

3. Roast the squash in a baking dish (I actually used my ceramic pie plate, so just whatever dish you have that fits your squash), for 40-45 mins until fork tender. The roasting time will depend on the size of your squash. When I roasted mine, I forgot to put it cut side down and to add about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with foil. Mine ended up roasting just fine, but I’d recommend doing this to aid in the roasting process and check the squash at about 30 mins because it might take less time.

4. While the squash is roasting, prep your filling. Cook rice according to package instructions. Cube the butternut squash (or buy precut - it’s okay, I promise), chop the apple, slice the shallots, mince or crush the garlic, and mince the thyme and sage. Then start by browning the sausage in a large saute pan over medium-high heat with a little bit of olive oil (about 1 tsp) and season with 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, a couple shakes of dried oregano and dried rosemary, a dash of red pepper flakes, and some salt and pepper. You can get creative here and make it spicier if you’d like, add more dried herbs, etc. I just chose that combination of spices based on flavors I thought would work well together.

5. After the sausage is browned, set aside and wipe out the pan and add about 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the shallot, thyme and sage for about 3-4 mins, or until the shallot is softened. Add garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add apple, butternut squash and season the mixture with some salt and pepper. Fry for about 2 mins and then add about 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and cover the pan to steam for about 5 mins to soften the butternut squash. Add the sausage back in and your filling is done!

6. Fill the squash with the filling (don’t be afraid to mound on top) and bake again for about 10 mins, just to warm everything through.

7. While that’s happening, make the sage brown butter pecan topping and grate the parm for serving, as well. After you chop the pecans, melt the butter in a smaller sized pan over medium-low heat, swirling the pan as it melts. Right after it melts, add the pecans and toast for a few more mins until it smells nutty and the butter is brown. Add the sage right at the end and transfer to a heatproof bowl.

8. To serve, top the squash with the sage brown butter pecan topping and grated parmesan cheese!

*Notes

• You may have some extra filling. Or not, if your husband eats all of it…If you do have some leftover, it would be great as a base for breakfast hash with some sweet or regular potatoes, topped with a fried egg and some hot sauce. Or, just serve it as a side to another meal (roasted chicken, pasta, etc).

• For the sage brown butter topping: I originally made double the amount written in the recipe. I’m suggesting the amount above because I was left with some extra pecan topping, but feel free to make double the amount because it is a super yummy topping!

• I used wild rice for the extra flavor and texture, but brown or white would work as well. I boiled my rice with some vegetable broth for some extra flavor!

• I used mild Italian sausage so I could play around with the seasonings, but feel free to use the sweet or spicy variety based on what flavors you like.