Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini
Bruschetta, tartines, and crostinis are all basically the same thing— a piece of toasted bread that has been loaded with toppings. This happens to be my very favorite way to serve appetizers at a get-together or party. Why? Because they are the perfect vessel for lots of flavor and texture, PLUS they’re easy to eat and carry around! I served these butternut crostinis at Thanksgiving, and they were a hit.
To me, these crostinis perfectly epitomize Fall in a bite. The sweet, caramelized squash atop the pillowy, fresh-tasting ricotta matches beautifully with the earthy, fragrant sage, and the toasted baguette adds a satisfying crunch. Honestly, I was having a really hard time not eating all of them just on my own! Mikey, who’s not even a huge squash fan, said they were “amazing.”
The crostinis come together pretty easily, especially since you can do most of the work the day before! Just put the the roasted squash and seasoned ricotta mixture into two separate sealed containers, and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to use. The sage can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature, as can the toasted baguette!
PrintButternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash (or one 2lb squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" cubes)
- 3 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tsp packed brown sugar
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- a couple dozen fresh sage leaves
- 3/4 cup fresh, whole-milk ricotta
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- baguette cut into thin slices and toasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the squash, 2 tablespoons of the oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender.
- Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet of medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until the edges begin to curl and the leaves turn dark green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onto paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper while still warm.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and lemon zest. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Spread some of the ricotta mixture on each baguette slice. Top with a few of the squash cubes and a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with 1 to 2 sage leaves.
recipe from here
Do you think this recipe would work with acorn squash? Most of the squash I buy turns into soup, so I'm not too proficient with the intricacies of different types.
Rachael replied: — December 4th, 2012 @ 8:57 pm
It might, but it would be a bit more difficult to peel an acorn squash, unless you were already starting with the diced bits (which I've never seen sold… I've only ever seen butternut and hubbard squash sold pre-diced). I would probably substitute a sugar pie pumpkin, if anything. I think that acorn squash may be a bit too fibrous and stringy.
I saw a very similar recipe in Family Circle a few months ago that uses kabocha squash. It is just so incredibly good!! It's become one of my most favorite dinners. Your pictures look much prettier =) Delicious
Rachael replied: — December 5th, 2012 @ 4:56 pm
Thank you so much! I bet kabocha would be an excellent substitution here.. or now that I think about it, even delicata squash!