Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Pecans, and Cranberries
Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash is a Fall comfort food that features Italian sausage, pecans, cranberries, and spinach. This flavorful family-friendly dinner is packed with veggies, fiber, and protein, and is gluten-free.
- 2 butternut squash (medium or large)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more)
- black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (small, diced)
- 14 oz Italian sausage (spicy, crumbled)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 oz spinach (fresh)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Prepare the butternut squash. Slice each one in half lengthwise. Keep fingers away from the knife to avoid injury. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
- Place butternut squash cut sides up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of the butternut squash halves with olive oil and rub the oil into the squash. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Turn the squash halves over, and place it cut sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 or 40 minutes.
- Make the sausage filling while the squash is being roasted in the oven.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add diced onion, and cook it on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until cooked and a bit charred.
- Add crumbled sausage, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes or more on medium heat until the sausage is completely cooked through.
- Add fresh spinach and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat until the spinach wilts.
- Add dried cranberries and chopped pecans and mix everything.
- Season with salt and pepper. Probably not necessary since the sausage is already usually salty (unless you use sweet sausage which I do not recommend).
- By this time, you have roasted the butternut squash for 30 or 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up.
- Let it cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1-inch border along the sides. (For reference, I provide the step-by-step photos for this step above the recipe card).
- Reheat the sausage mixture in the same skillet in which you made it to warm it up.
- Divide the sausage filling among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is leveled or a little bit higher.
- Top with freshly ground black pepper and fresh thyme.
Cozy Autumn dinner
This sausage-stuffed butternut squash recipe has quickly become my family's favorite Fall dinner because it is incredibly easy to make and is a complete meal all on its own! This flavorful comfort food dinner has everything: protein (sausage), veggies (roasted butternut squash and spinach), carbs (pecans and cranberries), and fiber! It will keep you full and you don't really need anything else to serve with it! Perfect to make when you need a simple and quick weeknight dinner. You can also serve this as a holiday side dish or main course for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other Fall and Winter holidays!
Sausage stuffed butternut squash recipe in a nutshell
This recipe was inspired by my sausage-stuffed acorn squash and it uses pretty much the same ingredients. This delicious and comforting dinner is perfect for colder days in the Fall and Winter. Here is this recipe in a nutshell:
- First, I roasted the butternut squash halves in the oven.
- While the squash was roasted, I prepared the sausage filling by cooking the onion, sausage, garlic, spices, and then adding spinach, dried cranberries, and pecans.
- Then, I basically stuffed the filling into roasted squash halves and served it with fresh herbs.
- You can also add shredded or grated cheese, such as Parmesan, Gruyere, or Asiago cheese on top if you like. I didn't use the cheese - the stuffed squash was already tasty without it. But cheese would be a nice addition!
- It's an easy meal that makes 4 generous size dinner portions or 8 moderate-sized portions. Great to make for family and friends on busy weeknights. It also makes a beautiful presentation - perfect for serving during the holidays or entertaining guests.
Is butternut squash a fruit or vegetable?
Even though we usually view butternut squash (and really all types of squash) as vegetables, did you know that it is botanically considered a fruit? Why? Because, botanically speaking, fruits contain seeds and develop from the flowers of a plant. And, since all types of squash have seeds and come from the flowering part of plants, all types of squash are considered fruit!
What kind of sausage to use?
I used spicy crumbled Italian sausage which added lots of savory flavors and a bit of spice to the squash. You can use any other type of spicy sausage (except breakfast sausage - I don't think it would work well here). If you don't like spicy sausage, use mild or sweet Italian sausage. You can also use chicken sausage. I used crumbled sausage, however, you can use the one in casings, too - just remove the casings and crumble it as you cook it.
Main ingredients
- Butternut squash is rich in dietary fiber and is an excellent addition to your menu. This winter squash is a great source of vitamins A, B6, C, and E, as well as several minerals, including magnesium, manganese, and potassium.
- Sausage. I used spicy crumbled Italian sausage.
- Onion. The onion is lightly caramelized in the beginning and then combined with the sausage. You can use any variety of onions: sweet onions, yellow onions, or white onions.
- Spinach. It's high in fiber and a good source of many vitamins and minerals. I used fresh spinach which I added to the skillet with the cooked sausage. You can also use frozen spinach (thawed completely and drained of any liquid). Another option is kale.
- Nuts. Pecans add crunch and texture to this stuffed winter squash. Or, use walnuts.
- Dried cranberries. They add sweetness to the sausage mixture.
- Italian seasoning combines dried herbs, such as thyme, sage, and oregano. Or, use Herbs de Provence.
The Directions
This is a quick overview of recipe instructions along with helpful step-by-step photos. For a complete and detailed recipe, scroll down to the recipe card.
1) Roast the squash. You will need 2 medium or large-size butternut squash. Carefully slice each one in half, and scoop out the seeds. You will have 4 butternut squash halves. Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 or 40 minutes.
2) Make the filling. While the squash is being roasted, prepare the sausage filling. First, cook together onions and sausage. Then, add Italian seasoning and minced garlic. Finally, add spinach, cooking it until it wilts. Then, mix in dried cranberries and pecans.
3) Prepare the roasted butternut squash halves for stuffing. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1-inch border along the sides. See photos for more clarity:
4) Stuff the squash. Reheat the sausage filling on the stovetop if needed and then add it into the cavities of each of the 4 butternut squash halves. The dinner is ready!
