Butternut Squash with Hazelnuts, Fontina, and Sausage

Ingredients

1 cup (175 g) uncooked wild rice

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

1small butternut squash (about 1½ lb/675 g)

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces (225 g) bulk Italian sausage, sweet or hot, as you like

½ cup (75 g) hazelnuts, skin-on or blanched, lightly toasted and chopped

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes

3 medium fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

1 cup (120 g) lightly packed shredded Fontina cheese

Directions

Place ¾ cup (135 g) of the wild rice in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt and water to cover by about 3 inches (7.5 cm). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a lively simmer, cover, and cook until the wild rice is fully tender and most of the grains have opened up, about 45 minutes. Check on occasion to make sure the water hasn't cooked off. All the water may not be absorbed, so drain thoroughly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, pop the remaining ¼ cup (40 g) wild rice: Arrange a couple of paper towels on a plate or tray. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add 3 or 4 rice grains, cover, and wait until you hear a soft pop or two; you might have to lift the lid to check ... wild rice is discreet!

Add the rest of the uncooked wild rice and cook, shaking the pan almost constantly, until almost all the grains have popped and puffed. It's okay if a few grains remain unpopped, because you don't want to risk burning the rice by keeping it too long on the burner. Pour the popped rice onto the paper towels and season lightly with salt. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Halve the squash lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and fibers, and poke the flesh all over with a fork. Rub 1 tablespoon of the butter on the flesh side and season it with salt and pepper.

Arrange the halves cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until almost fully tender but still with a bit of bite, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the size and density of your squash. Remove the squash but leave the oven on.

Let the squash rest until cool enough to handle. Scrape out the flesh into a bowl, leaving about a ½-inch-thick (1.25 cm) layer of flesh on the skin, taking care not to rip the skin as you scrape.

Mash the squash flesh a bit, leaving it partly chunky. Add the cooked wild rice, raw sausage (pull it into bits so it blends better), and hazelnuts and stir gently to distribute the ingredients well. Season with the vinegar, maple syrup, chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and several twists of black pepper. Stir again to mix.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until the butter smells nutty and the milk solids are turning a deep golden brown. Drop in the sage leaves and fry them for a second to flavor the butter. Pour everything over the squash mixture and then fold in the Fontina.

Season the squash halves lightly with salt and black pepper.

Pile the stuffing back into the squash halves, mounding it up. Arrange them on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Bake until the sausage is cooked and the stuffing is fully heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is nicely browned, another 10 minutes or so.

Cut into portions, shower with the popped wild rice, and serve hot.

Notes

This is basically a twice-baked butternut squash. The goal is to scoop out most of the roasted squash flesh-to be blended with other delicious elements-but to leave an even layer of flesh still attached to the squash skin, creating a container for the stuffing and some contrast in texture. I sometimes make this dish with delicata or sweet dumpling squashes, with a half squash being a perfect serving size. Feel free to experiment with other types of cheese, such as Gruyère or Comté, and while I love sausage, you could skip it and make this vegetarian. But do try your hand at popping the wild rice-it's easy and fun and brings great texture to the dish. —Serves 2 or 3