Sausage-Stuffed Squash

January cold settled in for real. Wind chill four below Wednesday. The clinic ran behind because the patients arrived ten minutes late from the parking lot.

Clinic Monday: a young man with depression who wanted to be on no medication, just to talk. I gave him forty-five minutes I did not technically have. I referred him to a counselor. I told him to come back in two weeks. He will. I have a feeling about this one. Some patients you can tell are going to make it. Some you cannot tell. He is a can-tell. Good.

Group Tuesday. Bernadette had a small bug — the substitute moderator ran the room. We were polite. We missed her. Henry sat next to me, which he had started doing. I did not make anything of it. I noticed.

Wednesday Kettle. Eleven quarts. Two new families I picked up from Father Murphy's referrals. One an older woman whose husband is in hospice. One a younger family with three kids whose father has lung cancer. I delivered both myself. The young father came to the door. He was tired. He thanked me. I said it was nothing. I drove home and sat in the car for four minutes. The bigger the operation gets, the more rooms I am in.

Liam is in a slump on math. Long division. He does not get long division. I am not great at long division either. I called Patrick — he is good at math, of all things — and put him on speaker. He walked Liam through one problem in fifteen minutes. Liam got the next two on his own. He hugged the phone. Patrick laughed. I owe Patrick a beer.

Nora is in love with a new kid in her class — a girl named Priya who Nora reports has a head full of facts. Nora is impressed by anyone with a head full of facts. I told her good taste. She agreed.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first. Liam ate five. He has gotten taller this winter. I am noticing now that I look up at him a little. He is seven. He is going to be tall.

Sunday dinner at Ma's. Beef and barley soup. Cold-weather soup. Ma's is better than mine.

Food of the week: Ma's beef and barley. The right kind of cold for it.

Ma’s beef and barley will always be better than mine — I have made my peace with that. But Sunday reminded me what I am actually after on a cold night after a week like this one: something that takes a little tending, smells good while it cooks, and lands on the table solid and sure. This sausage-stuffed squash is what I made the following weekend when I could not get to Ma’s, and it did the job — warm all the way through, the kind of dish that makes sitting down feel like it means something.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 lb bulk Italian sausage (mild or sweet)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Brush the cut sides of the squash halves lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
Roast the squash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the flesh is just tender when pierced with a fork but still holds its shape. Remove from the oven and carefully flip the halves cut-side up. Leave the oven on.
Cook the filling. While the squash roasts, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 5 to 6 minutes until browned. Add the onion and garlic and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Drain any excess fat.
Mix the stuffing. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, thyme, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should hold together loosely.
Fill and bake. Mound the sausage mixture evenly into each squash half, pressing it gently to fill the cavity. Sprinkle a little extra Parmesan over the top of each. Return to the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the filling is cooked through and the tops are golden.
Rest and serve. Let the squash rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Serve directly in the squash shell.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sausage-Stuffed Squash — The Warmth You Carry Home