Ingredients
- 1 medium acorn squash, halved (see Tip) and seeded
- 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 sausage link (your choice of spice & meat!), diced in small bites.
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
- 1/3 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut a small slice off the bottom of each squash half so it rests flat. Brush the insides with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch (or similar-size) baking dish and put in the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. You can check it at 30 minutes by poking it with a fork for a tender center.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in water, tomato paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add in sausage and cook until brown if fresh, or thawed if frozen. Stir in spinach, cover and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in white beans, cooking until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove from the heat.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat broiler.
Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl. Fill each squash half with about 1 cup of the stuffing mixture. Place back in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil in the center of the oven until the breadcrumbs are browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Tip: To make it easier to cut a pumpkin, acorn squash or other winter squash: pierce in several places with a fork; microwave on High for 45 to 60 seconds. Use a large sharp knife to cut in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers with a spoon. For this dish in particular, I scooped out enough to make a bowl so I could add more stuffing and have it stay in there.
Adapted from here.
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