Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin is such a delicacy and did you know that Delicata Pumpkin contains fewer carbohydrates than other winter squashes? And this interesting winter squash is only available for a few months of the year, so try this delicious pumpkin and sausage gratin right away!
PIN Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin to try later!
Delicate Pumpkin and sausage gratin is a fall treat I make every year during the early fall months when Delicata Squash is available. And I’m such a fan of this delicious and easy-to-use winter squash option that doesn’t need to be peeled! I love this pumpkin so much that today I’m reminding you to make this favorite fall dish while this fun variety of pumpkin is still available. And if you love winter squash, I’m sure you’ll love this recipe too.
I actually made the recipe by accident when Jake and I tried a sausage and green pepper mixture stuffed into Delicata Squash, and we ended up with way too much filling for the amount of squash we had. So we went to plan B and made a casserole with the roasted pumpkin, sausage and pepper mixture, and cheese. And it was such a winner!
Jake isn’t the biggest fan of winter squash, but even he agreed that this Sausage and Delicata Squash Gratin was really tasty. But please don’t wait too long to try this recipe, because Delicata Squash will only be available for a few months in late summer and early fall, and soon it will disappear from the store for another year.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is just a list of ingredients; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you want the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, which will take you directly to the full recipe with ingredient quantities.)
- Nice pumpkin
- Olive oil (affiliate link)
- Italian herb seasoning (affiliate link)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- hot or mild Italian turkey or pork sausage
- onion
- green pepper
- grated mozzarella cheese
What makes Delicata Squash different from other winter squashes?
One thing that makes Delicata Squash easy to use and different from other winter squashes is the way you can eat the rind! how cool is that? And if you can eat the peel, it’s easier to prepare and adds fiber to reduce net carbs. Delicata pumpkin is lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber than many varieties of winter squash. Here you will find more information about this attractive and delicious pumpkin variety!
How low in carbohydrates is Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin?
This tasty dish with pumpkin, sausage and peppers has only 7.2 net carbs per serving and 24 grams of protein if you make eight servings to serve as part of a meal. If you divide it into just six servings, it contains 9.5 net carbs and 32 grams of protein!
Who else loves winter squash?
I know most winter squashes are a carb splurge, but I’m a big fan of them as a treat, especially Butternut Squash! Use Winter Squash Recipes to see all the winter squash main dishes and side dishes on my blog!
This is how you make Delicata pumpkin and sausage gratin:
(This is just a summary of the steps for the recipe; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you use the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the full recipe.)
- Delicata squash can have green or yellow strips, as shown in the photo above, top left.
- Cut the squash into pieces about 1 inch square, saving the ends to cut smaller for the sausage mixture.
- Mix the pumpkin with olive oil and Italian herb mix and then roast it on a baking tray at 200 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes.
- While the pumpkin is roasting, heat a little oil and cook the sausage until nicely browned; remove it into a bowl.
- Add a little more oil and fry the diced onion and green pepper with some more Italian herb mixture. Add to the bowl with the sausage.
- Cut the ends of the pumpkin into about 1/3 inch pumpkin pieces and cook for a few minutes.
- Then heat the sausage, onions, peppers and small pieces of diced pumpkin for a minute or two.
- Spray a large baking dish with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the roasted pumpkin pieces in the dish and top with the sausage mixture and then a layer of grated cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until all ingredients are hot and the cheese is melted and starting to brown lightly.
- Serve the Delicata Pumpkin Gratin warm and enjoy!
Make it a low-carb meal:
If you want to serve a modest portion of this Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin as part of a low-carb meal, it would taste great with any of these side dishes:
More delicious recipes with Delicata Squash:
This recipe was in 30+ Best Squash Recipes at The Pioneer Woman.
Weekend food preparation:
This recipe has been added to the Weekend Food Prep category, where you will find recipes that you can prepare or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
3 Delicata pumpkins, each about 8 inches long
3 T olive oil, divided
2 tsp. Italian spice mix, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19.5 oz. package. hot or mild Turkish Italian Sausage (see notes)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 cups grated mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
- If necessary, wash the Delicata squash and cut the ends into a piece about 1 inch wide.
- Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and use a sharp spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds. Cut the main part of the pumpkin into pieces about 1 inch square and cut the end pieces into small pieces about 1 inch square. (The pumpkin is not peeled before you cut it into pieces; you eat it with the skin still on.)
- Place the larger pumpkin pieces in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Italian herb mix and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet (spray with olive oil or nonstick spray if you need to with your baking sheet.)
- Roast the squash for about 25 minutes, or until soft but not completely cooked.
- While the squash is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing and cook until nicely browned. When cooking, it will fall apart with a turner (or potato masher). (Most turkey sausage will release some liquid; just cook until it evaporates and the sausage begins to brown.)
- Place the browned sausage in a bowl, add some more olive oil and fry the onion and green pepper over medium heat until cooked and starting to turn lightly brown.
- Add the other teaspoon of Italian Seasoning Mix and cook for another 1 minute. Place the onion-pepper mixture in the bowl with the sausage.
- Add the rest of the oil (about 2 teaspoons) and add the smaller pumpkin cubes. Cook over medium heat until the squash is quite soft and starting to brown lightly, about 7-8 minutes. Add the sausage, onions and peppers back to the pan and cook until heated through.
- Remove the roasted pumpkin cubes from the oven and leave the oven on. Spray a large glass or dish dish with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. (I used a scale of about 10 x 12 inches, but any size close to that will work.)
- Place the hot pumpkin in the bottom of the baking dish and cover it with the hot sausage/onion/pepper mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture is very hot and the cheese is completely melted and nicely browned.
- Serve the Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin warm.
Comments
I used my Italian turkey sausage for this recipe, but you can also use pork sausage if you prefer.
You can keep this in the refrigerator for a few days and then reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. I suspect it freezes well, although I once had leftovers to freeze when I made it!
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutritional information
Yield
8
Portion size
1
Quantity per serving
Calories 303Total fat 19gSaturated fat 6gTrans fat 0gUnsaturated fat 10.4gCholesterol 86 mgSodium 710 mgCarbohydrates 9.8gFiber 2.6gSugar 3.8gEgg white 24g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I use. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy as many variables influence these calculations.
Suggestions for a low-carb diet / low-glycemic diet / South Beach diet:
Delicata Pumpkin and Sausage Gratin is packed with low-carb ingredients and Delicata is high in fiber, so this is suitable for low-carb diets, and even Keto if you make eight servings. Winter squash is reserved for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet, and South Beach recommends lean turkey sausage and perhaps less cheese for this recipe.
Find more recipes like this:
Use Casserole Recipes for more tasty ideas like these. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on the truthor on YouTube to see all the good recipes I share there.
Historical notes on this recipe:
This recipe for Delicata Squash was first posted in 2014, and since then I have grown to love this fun winter squash and have made this recipe many times. It was last updated with more information in 2025.
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