Roasted Squash, Feta & Sage Tart
There are some recipes that seem made for autumn, and this is one of them. Sweet roasted squash, salty feta and crisp sage in a buttery pastry case: generous enough for lunch with friends, but straightforward enough to make simply because you fancy it.
Better still, most of the work can be done in advance. The squash roasts while the pastry chills, the custard takes minutes to make, and the finished tart is just as happy served warm as it is at room temperature.
Serve it in generous wedges with a sharp green salad and put the whole thing in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.
Ingredients
For the pastry
Or use 320g ready-rolled all-butter shortcrust pastry.
- 250g plain flour
- 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- A good pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 2–3 tbsp ice-cold water
For the filling
- 1 butternut squash, approximately 900g
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, optional
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 3 large eggs
- 200ml double cream
- 100ml whole milk
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 25g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the sage butter
- 20g unsalted butter
- 12–15 fresh sage leaves
- A squeeze of lemon
You will also need a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, baking parchment and baking beans.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / gas mark 7.
Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into roughly 2cm cubes. Toss with the olive oil, chilli flakes if using, and a pinch of salt. Spread onto a large baking tray in a single layer.
If you are making your own pastry, rub the cold butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and just enough iced water to bring everything together into a smooth dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Method
1. Roast the squash
Roast the squash for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until tender and beginning to caramelise around the edges.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / gas mark 6.
2. Line the tart tin
Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to approximately 3mm thick.
Use it to line the tart tin, pressing the pastry gently into the edges and leaving a little overhang. Prick the base lightly with a fork and return it to the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Blind bake the pastry
Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans.
Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the parchment and beans. Return the pastry to the oven for another 5–8 minutes, until the base is dry and just beginning to turn golden.
Trim the excess pastry from the edge while it is still warm.
4. Make the filling
Whisk together the eggs, double cream, milk, garlic, thyme and grated Parmesan in a large jug. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Go gently with additional salt: the feta and Parmesan will bring plenty of their own.
5. Assemble the tart
Scatter around two-thirds of the roasted squash and half the feta over the pastry base.
Pour over the egg and cream mixture, then arrange the remaining squash and feta across the top.
6. Bake
Place the tart on a baking tray and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges with just a slight wobble in the centre.
If the pastry is colouring too quickly, loosely cover the edges with foil.
7. Crisp the sage
While the tart rests, melt the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the sage leaves and cook briefly until they become crisp at the edges. Remove from the heat and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
8. Rest and serve
Leave the tart to settle for around 15 minutes before carefully removing it from the tin.
Spoon the sage butter and crisp leaves over the top just before serving.
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, which is one of the reasons we like it for an easy lunch.
The squash can be roasted up to two days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. You can also blind bake the pastry case the day before.
The finished tart is best eaten on the day it is baked, but leftovers can be refrigerated overnight and gently warmed in a low oven the following day.
Avoid the microwave if you can: the oven will do a much better job of keeping the pastry crisp.
A few variations
Once you've made it once, it's an easy recipe to play with.
Swap the feta for goat's cheese for something softer and creamier, or scatter toasted pumpkin seeds over the finished tart for extra crunch.
A little caramelised red onion works beautifully with the squash, while a handful of rocket added just before serving brings freshness and a slightly peppery bite.
You could also leave out the chilli entirely if you're serving younger children.
What to serve with roasted squash tart
You don't need much.
A bitter-leaf salad with a sharp lemon dressing cuts through the richness nicely. A spoonful of chutney works too, particularly if you're serving the tart at room temperature.
For a larger lunch, add a bowl of new potatoes or some simply cooked greens and let everyone help themselves.
And if there is any left, a cold slice from the fridge the following day is a perfectly respectable lunch.
Setting the table
This is the sort of food that suits an equally relaxed table.
There is no need for elaborate styling. A few simple ceramics, linen napkins, glasses on the table and perhaps some greenery or candles down the centre are enough. Bring the tart to the table whole, rather than plating it in the kitchen, and let people cut another slice if they want one.
If you regularly find that lunch for four somehow becomes lunch for eight, an extending table rather comes into its own at this time of year.
Our Newland Reclaimed Extending Dining Table extends from 180cm to 240cm and seats up to eight, giving you room for the serving dishes as well as the people.
Then all that's really required is to put the tart in the middle, open something nice to drink and allow lunch to take as long as it takes.
