Roasted Honeynut Squash Tart
Honeynut squash looks like a miniature version of butternut. Both have a beautiful bell shape and tan rind but honeynut are about the size of your hand. They’re adorable and quite hard to resist when you see them starting at you in the food store.
Today, I’m roasting these cute little squash to make a tender tart filling that’s held together by a heavenly almond flour crust.
The tart itself is quite basic – just like all of my recipes.
There’s no added sugar and no fuss here. We’re roasting honeynut squash and baking an ultra chewy cinnamon spiked crust. That’s it.
That’s the whole shebang.
While I’m filing this recipe under sweets, don’t be fooled. There’s no added sugar, which means, yes, you could totally eat this for dinner.
(You can watch me making this tart step-by-step in this video here).
And, I’ve listed the ceramic tart pan I love using on The Kitchen page if you want to use the tart pan shown here.
It’s taken me awhile to tinker in my kitchen and ace this crust recipe, which I’m now using for all of my tarts, including the Roasted Carrot and Butternut Squash Tart.
It’s the two tablespoons of ground cinnamon that really make this crust shine, not to mention just the right amount of sea salt, olive oil and eggs. It’s a tender crust. One you’ll want to gently break apart with your hands and chew all night long. That is, if you’re like me and you enjoy eating with your hands.
Just don’t eat the squash filling with your hands. It will be quite messy. Use a spoon.
This recipe is on the dinner menu for Thanksgiving at the Valpone house this year. I hope it finds it’s way into your home, as well.
Enjoy.
Click the Play button below to hear me share a few helpful tips and walk you through the simple steps of making this recipe. Maybe, like me, you’ve had times when you’ve struggle to read through a recipe and follow the steps. All kinds of life circumstances–grief, trauma, stress—can tax our cognitive processing abilities, which is why I’ve created these audio clips to further support you now that I’m in this more healed place.
Roasted Honeynut Squash Tart
Ingredients
Honeynut Squash Filling
- 4 medium honeynut squash (4 pounds), halved and seeded
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for greasing tart pan
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Almond Flour Crust
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease 10-inch tart pan lightly with olive oil. Set aside.
- Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to coat all sides of the squash until glossy. Sprinkle the cut-side with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven. Roast for 35 minutes or until very tender. Note: make sure your squash is very tender or else you won't be able to mash it for the tart filling.
- Meanwhile, combine all the crust ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine using your hands (I found this to be the easiest way to ensure the dough is well mixed). Use your hands to press the dough into the prepared tart pan, ensuring the dough on the base and sides is even. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough along the base and sides.
- Remove the squash from the oven. Set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake the crust in the tart pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Scrape the flesh out of the squash halves and transfer to a large bowl with the ground ginger, allspice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Mix well to combine. Pour into the baked pie crust. Use the back of a large spoon to spread the squash in an even layer. Transfer back into the oven and bake for another 25 minutes or until the crust is firm and the filling is warm throughout. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Use a large fork to remove each slice from the tart pan. Serve warm.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
