Butternut Squash Ricotta And Sage Crostini Recipes

BUTTERNUT, RICOTTA, AND SAGE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice the baguette into 1/4 inch slices and spread them out on a baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of each piece with a little olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the pieces and bake for 5 more minutes.
• While the toasts bake, prep the squash. Peel and chop the squash into bite-sized cubes. Then in a large bowl, toss the squash with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, salt, chipotle, and maple syrup.
• When the toasts are done, turn up the oven to 425 degrees F. Set the toasts aside and dump the squash out onto the now empty baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool.
• In a small saute pan, add the remaining oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the sage leaves to the oil and let fry until crisp, about a minute. Remove the fried leaves to a paper towel-lined plate then fry the remaining leaves. Afterward, crumble the leaves with your fingers so that you have small pieces of sage.
• Assemble the crostini by placing a spoonful of ricotta on each toast. Top with some of the squash, a little sage, and pepitas, if using.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, RICOTTA, AND SAGE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss squash, 2 tablespoons oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is golden and tender, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on sheet.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage; cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to paper towels to drain. Mix ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Butternut squash, sage leaves, and ricotta can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill squash. Store sage airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill ricotta mixture. Bring squash to room temperature before serving.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each baguette slice. Top each with a few squash cubes. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top crostini with 2 fried sage leaves each.

BUTTERNUT-SAGE CROSTINI WITH RICOTTA AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place halves, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast squash for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, lemon peel, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper; set aside.
• Scoop flesh from squash halves and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add the 1 tablespoon slivered sage, 1/3 cup of the hazelnuts, and the lemon juice. Cover and process until smooth; set aside.
• Slice baguette diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. On a very large baking sheet arrange baguette slices in a single layer. Brush slices lightly with half of the olive oil. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until slices begin to brown. Turn baguette slices over; brush lightly with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until second sides begin to brown.
• Thickly spread the butternut squash mixture over baguette slices. Top with ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, garnish with whole sage leaves.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH FONTINA CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.
• Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

POLENTA CROSTINI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, RICOTTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Instructions Simply start by cooking the polenta according to the package adding in butter or avocado oil, garlic powder and salt while its cooking and stirring in Parmesan cheese when the cooking is complete. Once combined, grab a pan and spread the hot polenta evenly, then chill it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. As it's chilling, grab your cubed squash and toss it with salt and olive oil, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-28 minutes at 425° F, until tender. While these bake, heat a pan over medium-high heat with avocado oil and add the sage leaves evenly to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, place them on a paper towel, drain the grease and repeat until you have your desired amount of leaves. Now it's time for the sweetness, and this is easy. Simply stir the ricotta and maple syrup together with a bit of salt and set aside in the fridge. By this time, your polenta should be done baking. Slice it into small squares, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler for 3-6 minutes. Don't forget to flip the pieces when the time is up and broil for another 3-6 minutes to ensure even cooking. Let them cool for five minutes, then tip with ricotta, butternut squash, sage and salt and serve at your desired temperature. They taste great at room temperature, warmed or chilled.