butternut squash, feta, and sage galette

The flavors of fall are in full swing here in the abode. A couple of weeks ago that meant the smell of pumpkin filled every nook and cranny. But now, I've mostly transitioned to apples, cranberries, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, and squash. Today let's focus on that perfect little fall-flavored starch: butternut squash.

I recently discovered a versatile galette recipe in the Everyday Food Light cookbook. Are you familiar with galettes? Basically a rustic free-form tart that can be made savory or sweet. The galette dough in this recipe uses olive oil instead of butter (less saturated fat), comes together in a bowl in a minute and half, and is basically a blank canvas. Quite possibly the easiest dough ever. With perhaps the exception of Bisquick, but I'm not completely sure that counts.

The original recipe uses broccolini and feta. I kept the dough the same, but changed the filling to include roasted butternut squash, feta, parmesan, and a few of the last waning sage leaves from the garden. A dash of cayenne and some cracked pepper help give the galette some additional peppiness. The result? Sweet, savory, fall-inspired goodness! Let's crack open that squash!

Butternut Squash, Feta, and Sage Galette
Adapted from Everyday Food Light

Ingredients
For the dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 c. olive oil
1/3 c. cold water
1 tsp. salt

For the filling:
1/2 of a butternut squash (about a 1 1/2 lbs after peeled or the top neck part of the squash - save the bottom half for another day)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. fresh finely chopped sage
dash of cayenne
ground pepper, to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel butternut squash and cut just where the neck begins to round (see photo).

3. Using a knife or mandolin, cut squash neck in half long ways and then cut into 1/4 inch thick semi-circles. Try to cut similar size pieces, otherwise, the squash will not roast evenly in the oven.

4. Toss squash pieces in olive oil and salt.

5. Spread the squash semi-circles out on two parchment lined or greased baking sheets and roast for about 20 minutes. You want the squash to be tender, but not mushy (mushy squash will fall apart during the galette assembly process). Once the squash is out of oven, raise the temperature to 400 degrees.

6. While the squash is roasting, prepare the galette dough by combining all the ingredients with a fork in a mixing bowl. Once the dough has comes together, knead for about a minute. Refrain from overkneading - the dough will loose its flakiness.

7. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a bowl for 30 minutes.

8. Once the dough has rested, roll out on parchment into a 14 inch round. Transfer dough and parchment to a baking sheet.

9. Assembly the galette. First, sprinkle parmesan in the middle of the round leaving a 2 1/2 inch border on all sides. Then starting in the middle of the dough create a circular fan with the roasted squash. Then make another circle of squash overlaping the first (see photo). Sprinkle cayenne evenly across squash. Then spread feta and top with sage and ground pepper.

10. Fold dough border over filling and brush with beaten egg.

11. Bake in lower third of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. I prefer my galettes warm, but served at room temperature like a quiche works too.

Serve with a a spinach salad and call it dinner/lunch for four. Happy Cooking!

Need more butternut inspiration? Try Bon Appetit's florentini with butternut squash, Smitten Kitchen's butternut squash and caramelized onion galette, How Sweet It Is's butternut squash enchiladas or Love & Olive Oil's butternut squash risotto. All deliciously lovely options! Or check out Mouthwatering Mondays hosted by Southern Fairytale!