Butternut squash and ricotta tarts

Ideal for lunch, snacks and appetizers!

These delicious little beauties are a snap to make if you use purchased mini tart shells from the freezer section of your local grocery store. Note that if you wish to make a vegan version, you may need to make your own pastry though premade vegan tart shells are starting to become more widely available. Another timesaving tip is to caramelize onions in big batches and then freeze them in small quantities – I do this a couple of times each year and it is such a time saver when I go to whip up recipes like this. While you can definitely use store-bought ricotta, once you find out how easy and delicious homemade fresh ricotta is, you’ll understand why it’s my go-to for this dish. Note that this recipe will not use a whole butternut squash; leftover cooked squash is ideal in this tasty squash-apple soup or one of my very favourite pasta dishes. To make the tarts extra-festive for the holidays, you can serve them with a tiny dollop of cranberry sauce on top.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) butter (regular or dairy-free)
• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced, divided (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced into 1/2 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
• 1/4 cup (62 g) ricotta (look for vegan ricotta if you prefer)
• 12 premade tart shells, frozen
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Start by caramelizing the onions. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil and the butter, and heat until the butter starts to foam. Add the onions along with a pinch of salt, stir to coat the onions, then sauté over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover skillet; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep golden brown (this will take about 25-30 minutes). Stir in the balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the minced sage; cook 1 minute more then remove skillet from heat.
• While onions cook, toss the diced butternut squash with the remaining olive oil plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to the prepared baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven until tender, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer squash to a plate to cool.
• Place a teaspoon of caramelized onions in each of the 12 frozen tart shells placed on a baking sheet. Top with a tablespoon of the cooled, roasted squash, followed by a teaspoon of ricotta. Sprinkle a little more sage on top of each tart then use the tip of a knife to swirl the sage into the ricotta. Tarts can be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
• Just before serving, preheat oven to 400F. Bake tarts for 13-15 minutes or pastry is golden brown. Serve hot or room temperature.

Makes 12 tarts; recipe can easily be multiplied.