1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve the squash. Remove seeds with a spoon. Butter the cut face and interior with half the butter. Place cut side down on parchment paper in a cookie sheet or similar oven-proof pan. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the squash begins to soften. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. If including Pearled barley, heat chicken stock in sauce pan, add barley and cook until stock is absorbed—20-30 minutes.
3. Brown sausage in small amount of cooking oil 7-12 minutes. Add ½ of herbs and salt and pepper to sausage as it browns.
4. Toast Pine nuts on small oven-proof pan—until slightly browned and fragrant.
5. Saute onions, bell peppers in cooking oil in saute pan until onion is translucent—5-10 minutes. Saute garlic in same pan last 2 minutes until fragrant. Do not brown.
6. Saute mushrooms, if using, 7-10 minutes in butter.
7. Scoop squash halves enough to leave some structure to the squash skins—squash shell walls should be ½ inch or more. Put squash into a large bowl and mix well with all other ingredients, including ½ of the cheese.
8. Scoop squash mixture as possible into squash shells and mound above the tops of the shells. Spread remaining cheese over the top of the mounded mixture.
9. Return stuffed squash to oven. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese topping is melted and beginning to brown.
10. Finish with chopped parsley, if using, and/or sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve hot.