Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash With Cherries

A beautiful dish to pair with our 2018 Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir. A simple yet elegant dish that uses both sweet and savory ingredients to compliment the flavors and aromas of this Pinot Noir.

Ingredients and Directions

Serves 4

You can substitute the pork with turkey, chicken or mushrooms.

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground sage
4 Tbsp dried cherries, soaked in ¼ cup of Pinot Noir for 1 hour
1 cup dry farro
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz bulk pork sausage, mild or spicy or ½ and ½-can use turkey, chicken or mushrooms
½ c. yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, cut into ¼ inch slices
3 oz. mushrooms, sliced
½ cup granny smith apple, diced
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400⁰

Line a baking sheet with foil and place squash halves cut side up on baking sheet. Trim bottom of squash just a little to sit flat if necessary. Combine melted butter with garlic and half of sage. Brush on top and inside of each squash half and roast in oven for 60 minutes or until tender.

Soak cherries in a small bowl for an hour or heat the wine to a simmer with cherries, take off heat and let plump up for at least 20 minutes.

Cook farro in a pot of salted water or stock approximately 15-20 minutes or until done. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage, breaking up until browned and cooked through. Remove meat to a large bowl and put the pan back on burner and put in the remaining 1 T olive oil. Add onion, celery, and mushrooms to skillet and cook 4 minutes, stirring. Add apple and soaked cherries along with the wine and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add to the cooked sausage. Add remaining ¼ t. ground sage, the farro and the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When squash has finished roasting, put one quarter of sausage mixture into each of the four halves and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes to brown. Depending on size of squash there may be a bit of filling left over.

Serve immediately with 2018 Papapietro Perry Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir.

Can be made a day ahead and heated for 40 minutes @ 375⁰. Cover with foil for first 20 minutes, uncover the last 20 minutes.