Stuffed squash before baking
You would have thought I’d never seen fresh vegetables. My husband wanted to shop as men do: Get in, get something, and get out. But I dragged him from stall to stall at the farmer’s market, comparing the quality of the tomatoes and zucchini, sighing in disappointment that I’d gotten there too late to get the okra, and marveling at the beautiful produce that I can’t find at Kroger–bitter melons, long beans, white eggplant, and organically-grown yellow patty pan squash.
The squash were beautiful, and I wish I’d taken a photo of them before they were cooked: bright yellow with a ring of variegated green at the bottom. I knew when I bought them that I was going to stuff them. The man who sold them to me said to use sausage, and then remarked, “Every time I say that, I find out I’m talking to a vegetarian.” “You are again! You come across that many vegetarians?” “A lot of them. But you could use cheese instead.”
I let that go and started pondering what I, a no-refined-foods vegan, would use instead of sausage or cheese. How about beans that taste like sausage? With Cajun seasonings?
Oh boy! That was a good choice, and I knew it as soon as the fennel hit the pan. I started with all the seasonings that normally go into Louisiana cooking and added fennel and sage to create a rich, sausage-like flavor. There’s a hint of spiciness here, too, so go easy on the black and cayenne pepper if you’re spice-sensitive. But by all means, try it! The peppery taste of the beans provides a bold contrast to the tender, buttery squash. Patty pans are the perfect shape for stuffing, but if you can’t find them, you can use zucchini or a winter squash.
And a word to my carb-conscious friends: Patty pans are summer squash, so they’re low in calories and carbohydrates; they’re considered a “free” food on most diet plans, so eat up!
Patty Pan Squash Stuffed with Cajun White Beans
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized patty pan squash
- 1 small onion chopped fine
- 1 stalk celery chopped fine
- 1/2 bell pepper chopped fine
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 15-ounce can great northern beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Place the squash flat side down in a large pot. Add about 1 inch of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 8 minutes, until a fork easily pierces the top of the squash. Remove from the pot and set aside to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, slice off the top of the squash and use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh from the inside. Be sure to leave a wall of at least 1/4-inch of flesh on all sides of the squash. Turn them upside down to drain, and dice the scooped out flesh coarsely.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Sauté the onions, celery and bell pepper in a large, non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes until soft; add garlic, diced squash, and remaining seasonings and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the white beans and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Place the squash in an 8×8-inch baking pan. Spoon the stuffing into each shell; be sure to really pack it into the shell, and don’t be afraid to over-stuff them. Pile any stuffing that remains into the center of the baking pan, right between the squash.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops begin to brown. Serve with additional stuffing. Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Corinna
August 25, 2009 at 10:21 amHi Susan! Thanks for posting this recipe. I was a little stumped when the my garden started producing patty pan squash. I found your site with the aid of google, and gave this recipe a go. I'm so glad I did! The seasoning of the beans is just right, and balances nicely with the mild sweetness of the squash.
I had the leftover filling with couscous the next day. Thanks again, this recipe is a keeper! :c)
Jessica at Vegbooks
June 25, 2010 at 2:56 pmSounds delicious! I only have one patty pan squash from my CSA this week (and there are three in our family), but I’ll return to this recipe next time I have more.
beanie
August 8, 2010 at 9:30 amMy husband made these the other night and they are delicious. Just as good is to make the beans as you instruct and simply eat on their own or with rice. Thanks for the great recipes.
Christina
August 8, 2010 at 8:00 pmI really love this recipe, as did my husband, who is not a veggie. I don’t use nonstick pans, so I used some EVOO in a regular pan, but that was the only change I made. This was SO good! Thanks for posting it!
Regan
September 1, 2010 at 7:45 pmI tried this recipe tonight, nearly exactly like you wrote it. The spices -are- just perfect and what a glorious use for all those silly patty pan squash I didn’t know what to do with in my garden before tonight! The filling was so good I had to fight to keep my boys & DH out of it while I was making it, too. This was definitely a win & going in our end of the year recipe rotation. Thank you so much for sharing.
Laura
November 15, 2010 at 11:37 amThank you so much for posting this recipe. It was amazing. I altered it ever so slightly for our taste and it turned our perfect. My husband and I didn’t even miss the meat. Thanks. You can see my results at http://smallwalletbigappetite.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-that-and-what-am-i-meant-to-do.html
Jennifer
July 6, 2015 at 9:42 amWe made these stuffed pattypan squashes last night. They were excellent! Definite keepers. I may try them, based on your comments, stuffed with Field Roast Italian sausages another time. Thanks for posting.
Paige
July 28, 2017 at 6:36 pmThis was so delicious! I love patty pan squash but this recipe is worth the save just for the beans. I added ground sumac to give the beans a perfectly smoky yet bright flavor. Thank you!