Description
Golden roasted acorn squash halves stuffed with savory Italian sausage, vegetable rice, spinach, mushrooms, and herbs, creating a hearty and beautiful one-dish meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 acorn squash (halved and seeded)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1½ cups long-grain rice
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1½ tsp salt (divided)
- 1 tsp black pepper (divided)
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1½ cups mushrooms, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush acorn squash halves with olive oil, and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes until tender and golden.
- While squash roasts, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook, breaking apart, until browned and cooked through. Remove sausage and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms until soft.
- Add chopped spinach, cooked sausage, oregano, thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper to skillet; stir to combine.
- In a medium pot, cook rice in chicken broth according to package instructions.
- Once rice is cooked, combine it with sausage and vegetable mixture.
- Turn roasted squash cut side up. Fill each half generously with the sausage and rice stuffing.
- Return stuffed squash to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes to meld flavors.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Use reduced sodium broth to control saltiness.
- Italian sausage can be substituted with turkey sausage for a leaner option.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting, Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed squash half
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: stuffed acorn squash, sausage stuffing, vegetable rice, fall recipe, one dish meal