Italian Sausage Stuffed Squash Recipes

SUNNY'S ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• For the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the squash on a baking sheet flesh-side up and rub with the olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast until the edges begin to ripple and a poke with a fork reveals tender flesh, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool until easy to handle.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a large bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh within the skin of each squash half to help it maintain its shape.
• For the filling: In a large pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and sausage. While cooking, break the sausage into bits like ground meat with a wooden spoon. Once some of the fat is rendered from the sausage, add the onions, paprika, pumpkin pie spice, sage, celery, bell peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook until the sausage is done and the vegetables are tender.
• Add the mixture to the bowl of squash along with the cheese, walnuts and cranberries and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Fill the hollowed squash halves with the mixture and place back in the oven to melt the cheese and make the tops golden brown, 15 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED SQUASH

Steps:

• Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place cut side down in a microwave-safe 11x7-in. baking dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until tender., Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a large skillet; add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper., Turn squash cut side up. Stuff with sausage mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with cooking parchment paper; spray with cooking spray.
• Place both squash halves cut side down on baking sheet. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until tender.
• In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onions and garlic; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium; add flour, salt, pepper, pepper flakes and nutmeg. Cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add spinach. Cook and stir just until spinach is wilted. Stir in whipping cream. Heat to boiling; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or just until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese until melted.
• When squash is cool enough to handle, use fork to remove squash strands from shells, leaving shells intact. Mix squash strands into sausage mixture. Spoon filling into both squash shell halves.
• Arrange filled squash halves on same baking sheet. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly around edges and heated through. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 8-inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; stir to coat. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to small bowl; mix with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over squash halves, and serve.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Use a spoon to remove the seeds from the squash and cut in half. Simmer covered skin side down, in 1/2 inch of water for around 7-8 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to cool. [tip: If you have a food steamer, it works extremely well for this step, too.] In a small skillet, sauté the diced onion in a light drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Italian sausage and cook until brown. Next add, the minced garlic and spinach leaves. Sauté just until the spinach begins to wilt then remove from the heat. In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the cubed bread and sauté for 1-2 minutes until golden. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the bread cubes while toasting Add the bread cubes, spinach and sausage mixture to a mixing bowl. Mix together with 1 cup of shredded Italian cheese blend cheese and 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese. Set aside. Use a teaspoon to remove the seeds from the steamed squash. Place side by side in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. You can drizzle them with melted butter, if you like for added flavor. Divide the filling evenly between the squash halves and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is golden and the squash is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot. Cook's note: Use a sharp knife to cut a flat piece from the backside of the squash to stabilize it. This will prevent the squash from rolling and it will remain upright while cooking.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop pulp. Place zucchini shells in a large microwave-safe dish. In batches, microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender., In a large skillet, cook sausage and zucchini pulp over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs and pepper. Spoon into zucchini shells., Place in 2 ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced parsley.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with foil.
• Drizzle the squash flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place both halves, cut-sides down, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage, onion, and garlic in the hot skillet until sausage is browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes. Drain and discard any grease and excess liquid.
• Stir in tomato sauce, black and green olives, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the squash from the oven. Flip over so flesh is facing up. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese into each half, then divide sausage mixture evenly between the two. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top.
• Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 more minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place squash, cut sides down, on baking sheet.
• Bake squash in the preheated oven until it starts to soften, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until easily pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cool until easily handled.
• Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes; remove from skillet. Add onion, celery, and carrot to the skillet; cook and stir in sausage drippings until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir cooked sausage, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, and garlic into the skillet. Simmer sauce until flavors combine, about 15 minutes.
• Use a fork to scrape insides of squash into spaghetti strands. Transfer strands to a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon sauce over strands and stir to combine. Cover with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven oven until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes.