If you’ve been following for a while, you may notice that a sprinkle an occasional savory recipe on the site as well. And if I do, it’s always vegetarian. Although meat has, on very special occasions, graced this site. For example, Spinach & Bacon Quiche and Sausage Rolls.
I’m a huge fan of Fall and Winter fruits and vegetables and cooking with squash is my favorite. As you can see here, Butternut Squash Flatbread with Hummus & Herbs (Vegan), Butternut Squash Wontons with Pesto, and Creamy Baked Acorn Squash. If you would like to see more, search “squash” on the home page and a bunch of options will pop up.
The reason that this tart is so special, aside from it being delicious, is that it’s really simple to make for a weeknight dinner. The squash flavor is heightened here with the addition of caramelized onion, fresh thyme, and fontina cheese. The fontina can be replaced with another cheese of course but I like it here because it melts so easily, creating little stringed webs among the vegetables and adds a mild nutty flavor to the dish. It’s excellent.
The original recipe is a galette, which is delicious and if you have a galette dough recipe that you like to use, you can of course use that here as well. Over the years though, I always cut down on steps, wanting dinner to be ready as soon as possible so using puff pastry has become the easiest (and equally delicious) route to a quicker tart. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Tart
Ingredients
- 1 Puff pastry sheet, thawed
- 1 Small butternut squash, peeled & diced ~ 1 lb.
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Butter
- 1 Onion, halved and thinly sliced in crescents
- 1 tsp. Salt
- Pinch Sugar
- 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, grated ~ 2.5 ounces
- 1 1/2 tsp. Fresh thyme, chopped or sage
Optional
- Pinch Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Leave the puff pastry on the counter to thaw. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- Peel the squash, cut in half, and then scoop out the seeds. Dice into ¼ to ½-inch cubes. Toss pieces with olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Roast on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 30 minutes, or until the pieces are tender. Set aside to cool slightly; save the cookie sheet and foil.
- While squash is roasting, melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the onions, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until caramelized, soft, and golden. Stir in the optional cayenne pepper.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400F degrees. In a bowl with a spoon, mix the squash, caramelized onions, cheese, and herbs.
- Form your puff pastry into a 12-inch circle and transfer to the foil lined baking sheet. Spread the squash mixture over the dough, leaving a border of 1½ inches. Fold the border over inward to create somewhat of a protective barrier around the filling. The center will be exposed.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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