Butternut Squash Puff Pastry Recipes

SQUASH PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚. Brush a 24-cup mini-muffin pan (preferably nonstick) with olive oil. Evenly sprinkle the sugar on the bottom of each cup. Unfold the puff pastry on a work surface and cut into 24 equal squares with a sharp knife.
• Toss the squash with the olive oil, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Place 1 piece in each muffin cup (it's OK if some of the squash pieces extend above the top of the cups). Press about 1/2 teaspoon cheese on top of each squash cube. Cover each with a piece of puff pastry, tucking the edges into the muffin cups.
• Bake until the pastry is golden and puffed, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from the pan. Serve squash-side up.

SAVORY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Put oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat if onions are browning too quickly.
• Transfer onions to a large bowl. Add squash cubes, kale, sage, thyme and garlic. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes, and toss well to coat.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the puff pastry rounds to 12 inches in diameter (or roll and trim pastry rectangles to achieve two 12-inch rounds). Line a 10-inch pie pan or other shallow round baking dish with one 12-inch round of pastry. Add squash filling, piling it high. Sprinkle with provolone and pecorino. Lay the remaining pastry round over filling and crimp edges to seal. Paint the top of pie with beaten egg.
• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Transfer to oven, and bake for about 1 hour, until pastry is nicely browned and squash is soft when probed with a paring knife. (Start checking at the half-hour mark and the 45-minute mark to make sure the pastry isn't browning too quickly. Tent with foil, if so.) Allow to rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into large wedges and serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• In a very large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. (If squash won't fit in a single layer, cook it in batches). Stir and continue to cook until squash is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the syrup, thyme, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook one minute. Scrape mixture into a bowl.
• Turn the heat down to medium and melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in garlic and shallot; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and remaining salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft and their juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper and parsley. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• On a lightly floured surface, unwrap the puff pastry. Cut into 2 5-by-15-inch rectangles. Spread mushrooms on each pastry rectangle leaving 1/4-inch border. Spoon the cheese crumbles over the mushrooms. Then spoon the squash over the cheese, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border (it will look like a stripe of squash lying on a bed of cheese and mushrooms).
• Brush the exposed borders of dough on each rectangle with the egg wash. Fold the long sides up to meet in the middle and pinch together to seal; pinch the ends, too. Transfer the pastries to the baking sheet and turn them over so that the seam is face down. Brush the tops with more egg wash. Bake until they are puffed golden, and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.