Hearty, comforting and nourishing - this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is the budget-friendly dinner you've been craving! Featuring sweet winter squash stuffed with grains, your choice of sausage or bacon, fresh herbs and plenty of cheese. This show-stopping sausage stuffed squash brings restaurant-level flavor with bachelor-level effort - and just 9 simple ingredients.
½cupParmesan– finely grated, plus more for topping
Kosher Salt & Pepper– to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange racks to lower middle position. Roast acorn squash halves: Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish. Add enough hot water to fill the pan by ¼’’. Cover the dish loosely with foil and transfer to the oven. Roast until just barely fork-tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and pour water out of pan. Flip the cooked squash halves so cut side is facing up, and put them back in the pan. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling (see notes): Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon or sausage and cook, stirring often or breaking up the pork, until cooked through, about 6-9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon or sausage to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Toast farro: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Add in the farro and toss to coat. Cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add aromatics: Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add in the scallion whites and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add in the wine and increase heat to medium high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated, about 2-4 minutes.
Add toasted grains and slowly add stock 1 cup at a time: Reduce the heat slightly to between medium and medium-high heat. Add in the toasted farro and 1 cup warm stock mixture. Stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Continue cooking and adding stock by the cupful, stirring often and letting the stock mixture absorb before adding more, until farro is tender but still firm to the bite, about 45 minutes. (SEE NOTES)
Add sausage/bacon, lemon, scallions, parmesan: Stir in the cooked sausage/bacon, lemon juice, half of the scallion greens and ½ cup of the parmesan. Taste the stuffing mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stuff the Acorn Squash Halves: Rub the inside of the squash halves with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the stuffing between the squash halves, being sure to mound the filling on top - you want to be generous here.
Bake: Recover the baking dish with foil and bake the squash halves for an additional 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until hot throughout.
Serve: Sprinkle the top with more parmesan and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Sausage/Bacon: You can use either or in this recipe. I use whatever is cheaper at the store. For sausage, I prefer using ground (less hassle); however, Italian sausage is our favorite (typically chicken or turkey sausage if we are feeling healthy). Any variety works here - sweet, spicy, etc.
To warm stock and water – either use the microwave or bring mixture to a boil in a medium saucepan, reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Note: You might not need all the stock.
Stuffing can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If preparing in advance, stir in lemon juice at the end of cooking, but do NOT add in sausage/bacon and cheese. To reheat – add farro and ¼ cup stock to a large saucepan. Cover and steam over medium low heat until soft and warm, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon/sausage and cheese. Proceed with recipe as directed.
Farro stuffing adapted from Bon Appetit
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.