Last year I had many yellow squash in my garden. While I like roasting vegetables or making lemon yellow squash bread, I needed a new recipe. This recipe is so delicious! I doubled the recipe and the leftovers were just as good as when it was first served. The photo makes it look like I burned the squash, but I did not and it was perfect. You can bake for a lesser time as well. I also experimented with delicata squash and found the rind was too tough. You could easily substitute zucchini for the yellow squash.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 squash halves
• 1 diced onion
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 links of Italian sausage hot or sweet
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ C parmesan cheese
• ½ C shredding cheese Mexican mix or low monster mozzarella
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. tart by cooking the sausage in a nonstick frying pan. Sauté on medium heat until they are lightly browned about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the frying pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
2. Preheat the oven to 350.
3. Sauté the finely chopped onions, crushed garlic and diced bell pepper in the drippings from the sausage. Cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Next, add the oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the pan and mix thoroughly with the onions and peppers. Sauté for two minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
5. Place the sausage, peppers and onions mixture into a medium size bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, parmesan cheese and egg and set the mixture aside.
6. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper for easier cleanup.
7. Cut the squash down the middle lengthwise. Using a spoon to scoop out the seedy interior of the squash and discard. Place the squash cut side up on the cookie sheet.
8. Scoop the sausage mixture in to the wells of the squash.
9. Bake for approximately 40 to 60 minutes. It depends on the size of the squash.
10. Notes
11. You want to use both a Parmesan cheese and some kind of shredded cheese. I usually have both a nice brick of Parmesan Reggiano and the cheap crumbled cheese in the refrigerator. For this recipe I find that the crumbled pram works just fine to add that salty nutty flavor, so I save the nice parm for other dishes.
12. I have used both shredded low moisture mozzarella and cheddar Colby Jack (“Mexican cheese mix”) shredded cheese. They’re both good and I actually like them Mexican cheese mix the best, but don’t be afraid to experiment and just use what’s in your house.

Recipe from Balancing Bowls