gourmet comfort food | The Artful Gourmet :: Food Stylist | Photographer | Blogger

It’s the holidays and we all know what that means..time to cook and bake, and eat all the delicious treats of the season..like this savory
3-Cheese Butternut Squash Tart with Bacon. Can we say yay?

It’s so easy to make with some store-bought puff pastry because who has time to make their own with so many goodies to make and presents to wrap? And delicious holiday food to eat?

It’s got a gorgeous crispy, buttery crust topped with ricotta and Parmesan and Gruyere cheese, roasted butternut squash with maple syrup and of course, bacon. Then it’s topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and some fresh thyme along with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Sounds pretty perfect to me.

First, defrost and roll out your dough. Cut 1/2 inch strips around the edges to double up to make a pastry border and brush it with egg wash. Pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Next, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper, and some garlic powder over the butternut squash, then drizzle it with some maple syrup and roast it for about 15 minutes.

Cook that delicious bacon, drain and set aside to crumble on the tart later.

Whip up your ricotta with an egg, salt and pepper and some shredded Parmesan cheese.

Spread it on top of the tart pastry evenly. (Repeat all steps with the second pastry throughout.)

Top it with some of that luscious grated Gruyere cheese.

Place the roasted squash on top along with the bacon. Sprinkle some fresh thyme on top.

Then simply bake it for 30 minutes on 375 F, then drizzle it with some balsamic glaze, cut into squares and devour!

3 Cheese Butternut Squash & Bacon Tart

Yield: Makes 2 tarts, serves 12.

Serving Size: 1 tart square (6 per tart)

This delicious savory tart features three luscious cheeses (ricotta, gruyere and parmesan) along with crispy bacon and roasted butternut squash and thyme. It makes a great appetizer for the holidays!

Ingredients

2 large eggs
14 ounces frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
2 packages butternut squash, precut into 1-2" cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6-8 slices bacon
1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon whole milk or cream
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Balsamic glaze, for garnish
fresh thyme, for garnish

Instructions

Roll out 1 piece of puff pastry into a large rectangle. Cut a 1/2 inch border around the edges and place the strips on the edges of the pastry sheet to create a border crust. Prick holes around the pastry to avoid puffing.
Beat 1 egg and brush the pastry edges and repeat same procedure with second pastry sheet; chilling both for 1/2 an hour in the fridge.
While pastry is chilling, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the butternut squash into small chunks and drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and garlic powder.
Bake for 15 minutes and set aside.
Cook bacon according to package directions and drain on paper towels. Crumble once cooled and set aside.
Reduce heat in oven to 375.
Mix the ricotta cheese with one beaten egg, parmesan cheese and additional salt and pepper.
Remove pastry from the fridge and spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the tops of both.
Sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese and crumbled bacon.
Top both pastries with the butternut squash and sprinkle with some fresh thyme.
Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed around the edges.
Cut into squares after cooling on a rack and serve warm.
Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top and additional fresh thyme if desired.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2016/12/3-cheese-butternut-squash-tart-w-bacon/

Gosh I love the holidays.

Wishing you a great one!

Now back to that tart I just made… 😉

Ricotta Gnocchi and Wild Mushroom Sauce (Gnocchi di Ricotta Con Sugo de Funghi)

As far as I’m concerned, gnocchi are little pillows of love, goodness and deliciousness. Especially when they are homemade..that is a true labor of love. It’s not that they are difficult to make, but definitely time consuming, but with a little patience the end result is worth the wait! Gnocchi (Italian plural for gnoccho) are basically homemade dumplings that can be made from flour and potatoes, or in this recipe made with ricotta, parmesan cheese and flour. These dumplings have a thick and creamy consistency with grooves for holding a rich sauce made with cream and cheese, or a chunky meat sauce such as a bolognese or a luscious wine and wild mushroom sauce made with porcini, cremini and chanterelles in the recipe below. The gnocchi can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer and then boiled just before serving with the sauce of your choice.

To make the Gnocchi:

2 c ricotta cheese
1 c grated parmesan
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
Sugo de Funghi (recipe follows)
4 tsp fresh tarragon leaves
1 c grated parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta and parmesan.

Gradually stir in the flour, adding more if necessary, until a soft dough results.

Turn the dough out and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky while kneading, add more flour.

To form the gnocchi, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder about 3/4 inch thick and cut each into 3/4 inch lengths.

Dip a fork in flour, and holding the fork in one hand, roll each piece of dough over the back of the tines to form ridges.

Refrigerate the gnocchi for 30 minutes or freeze.

To cook the gnocchi, bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, stir in 2 tablespoons of salt, and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well, toss the gnocchi with the sauce. Garnish with tarragon leaves and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Wild Mushroom Sauce (Sugo de Funghi)

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
6 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb. chanterelles or other wild mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste
4 c chicken stock
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

In a medium bowl, combine the dried porcini and Marsala with enough hot water to cover and allow the mushrooms to soften about 30 minutes.

Strain the porcini through dampened cheesecloth or a coffee filter, reserving the liquid. Rinse the porcini to remove any sand deposits and chop roughly.

Meanwhile, chop the additional wild mushrooms and place in a large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cremini, chanterelles and porcini, and saute until cooked through about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.