Cooking Steps

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
• Brush the cut sides of the butternut squash with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 40–45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
• While the squash roasts, cook the sausage in a large skillet until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
• In the same skillet, sauté the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Stir in the diced apple, thyme, sage, and cook for 3–4 minutes until the apple softens slightly. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
• Return the sausage to the skillet, then stir in the cranberries, pecans, and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Remove the roasted squash from the oven. Carefully flip over and scoop out some of the flesh, leaving about ½-inch border to create a shell.
• Stir the scooped-out squash into the sausage mixture. Fill each squash half generously with the stuffing. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes to heat through.