Acorn Squash Stuffed with Green Apple Risotto and Sage Sausage

Directions

1. APPLES AND APPLE BROTH Peel and core the apples. Reserve the peels. Dice the apples into small pieces, keeping each type of apple separate. Heat 3 cups chicken stock with 2 cups apple cider to a simmer. Add reserved apple peels and continue simmering for 30 minutes. Strain out the peel, return the broth to the pan and keep hot.
2. SQUASH AND SAUSAGE Combine ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/4 teaspoons apple pie spice; Place ½ tbsp. butter into each squash cavity and sprinkle the spice mix into each cavity. Bake in a large roasting pan, cut side up, at 400 degrees F for 1 hour, until squash is tender yet still holds its shape. (Begin checking at about 40 -45 minutes, depending on size of squash and oven variations). Meanwhile make stuffing: Fry sausage until cooked through. Remove pork to a colander to drain. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from frypan. Add onion, saute 4 minutes. Stir in apple and saute 2 more minutes. Combine the pork, onion, diced macintosh apples, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Taste and season with sage, salt or pepper to taste (depending on your sausage you may not want to add more seasoning). Stir in the parsley.
3. RISOTTO In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Fry 4 large sage leaves for 2 minutes until crispy. Remove leaves and set a aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the butter and heat until shimmering. Add 1/3 cup finely chopped onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Add diced granny smith apples; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more. Add rice; cook, stirring frequently, until rice is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add hard cider, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated, then add 1/2 cup apple broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until broth is mostly absorbed. Continue adding broth in 1/2 cupfuls, stirring constantly, and allowing each addition to mostly absorb before adding the next, until rice is tender yet firm to the bite (you may have broth left over). Remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter, taleggio cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and generous pinch pepper, then cover and let stand 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. ASSEMBLE Scoop risotto into each acorn squash so that the risotto forms a dome. Remove enough risotto from each to make an indentation, to which you will add equal amounts of the sausage stuffing. Return the squash to the oven and heat for about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top each squash with a fried sage leaf and serve.