Description
Italian Stuffed Patty Pan Squash is a delightful dish that combines the sweetness of patty pan squash with a flavorful quinoa filling infused with Italian herbs and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 patty pan squash (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm in diameter)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (1 tablespoon to fry up the quinoa mixture and 1 tablespoon to drizzle over patty pan squash just before baking)
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1.5 cups quinoa cooked
- ½ cup spinach frozen (thawed and all the liquid squeeze out)
- 4–5 Tomatoes large peeled fresh
- 1 teaspoon Basil dried
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated – optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Slice the tops off the patty pan squash and scoop out the insides, reserving the flesh for the filling.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until they are soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the reserved squash flesh and cook for a few minutes.
- Add cooked quinoa, thawed spinach, grated tomatoes (reserve 3 for sauce), dried basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Stuff the mixture into each patty pan squash and place them in a baking dish.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the stuffed squash.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.
- Meanwhile, make a quick tomato sauce with the reserved grated tomatoes, cooking them down slightly in a saucepan.
- Serve the stuffed squash with the tomato sauce drizzled on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Feel free to customize the filling with other vegetables or proteins based on your preference. Leftover filling can be used as a salad topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course / Side Dish
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed squash
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 240 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
Keywords: Italian Stuffed Patty Pan Squash, stuffed squash, quinoa, vegetarian recipes, Italian cuisine