Squash Stuffed With Italian Sausage And Broccoli Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

2 acorn squash (or any other winter variety with flavorful flesh, such as butternut or Hubbard)

1 lb ground Italian sausage (any casings removed)

2 c. fresh or frozen chopped broccoli

2 cloves garlic

1/2 c. olive oil (roughly)

The zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 c. shredded or grated hard Italian cheese (parmesan, pecorino romano, asiago)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut squashes in half and remove the seeds. Place halves cut-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil each, season with salt and pepper. Bake until fork tines will just stick in, about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage and then remove from heat. While the sausage is browning, pulse garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add broccoli florets, lemon juice and zest, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pulse and slowly stream in remaining olive oil until a coarse pesto forms. Stir in 1 c. of cheese by hand. Mix pesto into sausage, then pack filling into squash halves. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. cheese over the top, and bake until cheese is lightly browned and fork tines slide easily into squash flesh, about 15-20 minutes more. Serve immediately.