Combine Butternut or Buttercup squash with Feta cheese and leeks to make a savory winter squash pie. Using phyllo dough keeps it light but satisfying.
I also appreciate winter squash’s versatility. It can be steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, stuffed, mashed, fried, turned into jam, or soup, or pancakes, or substituted for pasta. It can even be hollowed out and used as a bowl or a Jack-o-Lanterns (yes, pumpkins are a type of squash).
Winter squash is one of my favorite vegetables. It comes in several sizes; from cute mini pumpkins to monstrous Hubbard varieties. It comes in several flavors; from light and sweet Delicata to creamy Butternut. It comes in several textures, from stringy Spaghetti Squash to dry Buttercup. And it comes in a whole gamut of colors; interiors from creamy yellow to blazing orange, with green, orange, yellow, striped, and dotted skin. Winter squashes bring a welcome burst of vegetable sunshine to a monochromatic winter plate.
Although I grew up eating winter squash mashed with butter and brown sugar, I now prefer this savory squash pie, mixed with Feta and leeks. Serve it with a green salad for a nice light meal. This recipe is adapted from one found in one of my absolutely favorite cookbooks – Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman.
Use Butternut, Buttercup, or another robustly flavored winter squash for this recipe. Delicately flavored varieties like Acorn or Delicata would be overwhelmed by the Feta and leeks.
Savory Squash Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds winter squash about 1 ½ cups mashed
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoons dried mint
- ½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 small leek
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 large egg
- 12 sheets commercial phyllo dough
- olive oil
Instructions
- Thaw phyllo dough following package directions.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and seed winter squash. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mash cooked squash. Add parsley, mint, and Feta. Stir to combine.
- Wash and chop the white and light green parts of the leek. Peel and mince the garlic.
- Heat a little olive oil (about 2 teaspoons) in a small frying pan. Add the chopped leek and garlic. Cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add to the squash mixture.
- Grease an 8-inch cake pan. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with olive oil, and overlapping each sheet until the entire cake pan is covered.
- Stir a beaten egg into the squash mixture. Spread mixture over the phyllo in the pan.
- Cover with 5 sheets of phyllo dough, once again brushing each sheet with olive oil. Tuck the edges into the side of the pan. Make a few cuts in the top with a knife.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Note: This recipe will use less than one package of commercial phyllo dough. Save the remainder for another pie or refreeze for future use.
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