Caramelized Onion & Butternut Squash Tart
Vanessa Larson
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 6 to 8
This decadent tart is packed with caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, Gruyère and crème fraîche. It makes an excellent vegetarian main or a rich, savory side.
Ingredients
Caramelized Onion & Butternut Squash Tart
- 1 recipe pastry dough (see below)
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 8 ounce crème fraîche
- 4 ounce Gruyère, grated
- 2 ounce Parmesan, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs thyme
Pastry Dough
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoon ice water
Featured Video
Caramelized Onion & Butternut Squash Tart
WHO: Vanessa Larson is a brand-new member of the Food52 community. Welcome!
WHAT: A rich, salty, savory tart with as much melty cheese as there are roasty onions and squash.
HOW: Caramelize onions with butter and thyme, then combine with roasted squash in a pre-baked tart shell. Pour a cheesy, savory custard over the vegetables and bake until bubbly and golden.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, Gruyère, and crème fraîche—it literally could not be bad. We like the addition of whole wheat flour to the crust, as it adds a little extra heft. Our only complaint is that we ate too much of the squash before putting it in the tart—maybe the recipe should suggest roasting extra? (Just kidding. Mostly.)
Directions
Caramelized Onion & Butternut Squash Tart
- Step 1
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, thyme sprigs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove thyme stems.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450° F. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until browned and very soft, stirring once, about 40 minutes.
- Step 3
Reduce oven heat to 350° F. Roll dough out until thin and press into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and bake in oven 10 minutes.
- Step 4
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, crème fraîche, gruyère, Parmesan, and black pepper.
- Step 5
Spread caramelized onions in bottom of tart and top with butternut squash. Pour gruyère mixture over the squash, making sure to spread it evenly throughout the tart.
- Step 6
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Pastry Dough
- Step 1
Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Mix flour and salt in food processor or large bowl.
- Step 3
If using food processor, add butter and mix until mixture resembles small pea-sized balls. If mixing by hand, work quickly, mixing the butter in with your hands until it forms small pea-sized balls.
- Step 4
Add in ice water and mix just until dough forms and comes together. Form into disk, wrap in plastic, and place in fridge for 20 minutes.