Squash Stuffed With Italian Sausage And Broccoli Pesto
- 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
- 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.
acorn, ground italian sausage, broccoli, garlic, olive oil, lemon, italian cheese, salt
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/squash-stuffed-with-italian-sausage-and-broccoli-pesto-50084370 (may not work)