Butternut Squash Tart with Goat Cheese

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the tart dough, in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and kosher salt. Add the butter and process until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and process until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a rectangle slightly larger than 16 by 12 inches (40 by 30 cm). Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a fluted pastry cutter, trim the dough so the edges are straight. Gather up the scraps and roll out, then cut into strips and other shapes as desired. Set aside.

Using a mandoline, thinly slice the butternut squash crosswise into half moons. In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash slices and the shallot. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the squash in a single layer on the dough  (some overlap is OK), leaving a 1/2-inch (12-mm) border on all sides. Top with the shallot, goat cheese and rosemary sprigs. Carefully fold over the uncovered border to form a crust and brush with some of the egg wash. Arrange the reserved dough strips decoratively on the edges of the crust and on top of the tart. Brush the dough with more egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, the shallot is slightly charred and the squash is very tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the tart cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with a little olive oil, cut into slices and serve. Serves 6.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen