Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage

I love just about anything with butternut squash in it. My very favorite is the butternut squash soup at Grounds in Long Beach, California. I think they served it every Tuesday in the fall and winter (and I ordered it every time it was available). I soooooo miss going to lunch there. If you live in Southern California, you must try it. They also have great sandwiches. Since I can't have my favorite soup, I got my butternut squash fix from this tart. It is a simple snack, lunch, or light dinner that's perfect for fall. It comes together in no time and is absolutely delicious. The fried sage is the perfect flavor match to the squash. You could serve the tart with a little salad to make it a meal.

Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage

1 small butternut squash

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves (approximately)

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

salt & freshly ground pepper
Chile honey

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the neck of a butternut squash using a vegetable peeler. Using either a sharp knife or mandolin slicer, cut 1/8-inch thin rounds from the neck portion and reserve the rest of the squash for another use.

Flatten the sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. You can use a rolling pin if you need to or you may be able to just create a rectangular shape by unfolding it with your hands.

Brush the pastry dough with the egg wash (egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water). Arrange the squash rounds on the pastry dough, overlapping the edges to cover the entire dough, but allowing about 1/2-inch boarder of crust around the edge.

Place a second sheet of parchment paper over the squash and top with a second baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Then remove the top baking sheet and the parchment paper that's covering the squash. Brush the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Return to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.

While the tart is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When it just starts to smoke a bit, add the clean, dry sage leaves to the oil. They will cook very, very quickly - about 5 to 10 seconds. You just need them to sizzle a bit to get crispy and then remove them from the skillet and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.

When the tart crust is golden brown around the egdes and cooked in the middle, remove it from the oven, slice, and top with the saved parmesan. Drizzle with chile honey (the epicurious.com link below has a recipe or you can buy some at your local market - it may also just be called hot honey or spicy honey). Top with fresh ground pepper and the fried sage leaves.

Enjoy!

recipe from epicurious.com