Butternut Squash Crostini with Fresh Ricotta and Caramelized Onions
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
1 quart whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound butternut squash
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes, more or less to taste
Coarse sea or kosher salt
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp agave
1 loaf thick sourdough bread, cut ½-1” thick
10 mint leaves
First, make your own fresh ricotta. You must do it. (And it really is super easy). Add whole milk, heavy cream and yogurt to a large pot. Bring to a very light simmer and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Line a strainer with a layer of cheese cloth, set the strainer over a bowl (or sink) and pour the mixture in. It will drain slowly and you will be left with delicious, fluffy, fresh ricotta. Season with lemon juice and salt and set aside in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Heat oven to 450. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve and seed your squash, then cut away skin. Slice into ½” thick rounds. Toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and chile flakes until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet and roast until tender and slightly colored, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the density of the squash you use), flipping once about 2/3 of the way through.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add vinegar and agave and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions are jammy and broken down, another 10 to 15 minutes.
While onions and squash are cooking, brush olive oil on each side of your bread slices. Sprinkle with a dash of salt, then place them onto a baking sheet and into the oven with the squash. Let them cook for 5 minutes on one side, then remove and flip for another 5 minutes on the other side. You can add more or less time here based on how crispy you like your toasts. You can also finish them off under the broiler once the squash is out to get some darker edges. Remove from oven, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and tent with foil.
Once squash is tender (very easily pierced by a fork) pile onions on top of roasted squash, still on their baking sheet. Use a fork to gently half-mash the mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Reduce heat to 300 and return pan to oven to keep warm.
Heat a small frying pan over high heat, and add a few Tbsp of olive oil. Allow it to heat until it is shimmering, then throw in the mint leaves. Once they stop crackling and start to look dark green bordering on brown, fish them out very gently and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Once everything is ready, spread ricotta on toasts, heap with the squash-onion mixture, sprinkle with coarse salt and crumble some fried mint over each piece. Serve warm. (P.s. These reheat beautifully, so don’t throw any extras away at the end of the night).
