Sausage and Pasta Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sausage and Pasta Stuffed Acorn Squash pairs the sweet flavor of acorn squash with the saltiness of sausage for a perfect, beautiful fall dish!

 

October is one of my favorite food months! Have I told you how much I enjoy cooking and baking with different varieties of squash?  They are so versatile and delicious whether in sweet or savory dishes.  Here are a few recipes I especially love with pumpkin:

• Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage
• Sweet and Sour Squash
• Savory Butternut Squash, Leek and Goat Cheese Crostata
• Savory Pumpkin and Ricotta Fritters
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Acorn squash is wonderful for stuffing.  And when halved they are the perfect individual portion size.  Most recipes stuff acorn squash with rice or quinoa, but of course I’m Italian so I’ll choose pasta. And what better pairing for sweet squash than salty sausage!  That’s how I came up with Sausage and Pasta Stuffed Acorn Squash. I love the presentation of this dish and you would not believe how easy it is to prepare!

Step by Step Instructions:

Begin by baking your acorn squash.  Cut acorn squash in 2 and use a spoon to remove the seeds in the center.  

Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper and bake face down on a parchment covered baking sheet in a 375F oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, prepare a simple sausage tomato sauce: heat olive oil in a large skillet and add mild Italian sausage without the casing.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add a diced onion and clove of garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. 

Pour in 2 cups of tomato passata (tomato purée).  Lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt well and cook pasta for about 3 minutes less than the suggested cooking time.  Drain and add to the sausage tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Spoon the pasta mixture in the baked acorn squash halves.  Top each half with shredded mozzarella.  Bake in a 350F for about 20 minutes, or until the mozzarella is bubbling.  Serve hot.

Tips and suggestions:

• Tomato passata in this recipe and in all my other recipes that call for tomato sauce basically refers to an Italian variety of puréed tomatoes sold in a jar and found in most Italian grocery stores.  Any type of unseasoned tomato purée will do. 
• Try different varieties of short pasta such as penne or fusilli if you don’t have rigatoni.
• If you enjoy spicy foods substitute hot Italian sausage for mild.
• If you like your pasta extra cheesy, stir some freshly grated Parmigiano cheese into the pasta before stuffing the acorn squash. 
• You’ll notice that the amount of pasta is about twice as much as you’ll need to fill four acorn squash halves.  In my experience, there’s always someone who doesn’t want their pasta in the acorn squash so it’s always handy to have some extra pasta.  Or you can always enjoy it for lunch the following day!

If you try out this recipe, please let me know by tagging me with your photos with @mangiabedda or #mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram.  Feel free to Pin the recipe for later. Buon appetito!