Marilena's Kitchen

This Caramelized Butternut Squash, Leek, and Feta Cheese Filo Tart combines layers of crisp, buttery filo pastry with caramelized butternut squash, sweet sautéed leeks, creamy Ricotta, and tangy Feta cheese.

The crispy filo crust provides a great textural contrast with the slightly sweet flavor of the soft butternut squash and leeks. The addition of the sharp Feta cheese balances the sweetness of the caramelized squash perfectly in this mouthwatering savory tart!

Having filo as a base, makes for a lighter tart and there is no need to pre-bake the filo base. Assembling it is pretty easy, as all we need to do is layer the filo sheets into a tart pan and then top it with delicious cheeses and yummy roasted vegetables before baking it until golden brown.

Ingredients for the Caramelized Butternut Squash, Leek, and Feta Cheese Filo Pie

For this easy tart, in addition to the vegetables, you will need good quality filo pastry, fresh Ricotta cheese and tangy Greek Feta cheese. I like to use Fillo Factory filo pastry for all my recipes, which makes working with the dough easy, no matter how much experience you have with filo!

Filo pastry: I used Fillo Factory’s All Purpose Filo (#7 )
Extra virgin olive oil: to cook the vegetables and to brush on the filo
Butternut squash: diced and caramelized to bring out its sweet flavor
Leek and Shallot: a medium leek and a shallot are great additions to the filling
Salty cheeses: Greek Feta in brine and a small wedge of Gruyère
Creamy cheese: good quality, full-fat, Ricotta cheese (I like the Calabro brand Ricotta) – you can also use Boursin cheese if you cannot find good Ricotta
Fresh thyme: a classic pairing for savory dishes, such as those with fall vegetables
Seasonings: sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat (optional)

How to make the tart

For this recipe I use filo pastry as a base, which I then top with a delicious, seasoned Ricotta cheese. Then, I layer on the vegetables, sprinkle the Feta and the Gruyère cheeses and bake.

Here are the steps:

Prep and cook the vegetables until nicely caramelized
Cut through a stack of 8 filo sheets with a sharp knife, so you have a 12” square
Make the seasoned Ricotta by mixing together the cheese with some seasonings, olive oil, and fresh thyme. Form a tart shell by layering the filo pastry sheets. Spread the Ricotta mixture over the filo base
Next, arrange the butternut squash and the leeks over the Ricotta
Sprinkle the Feta and the Gruyère cheeses on top of the vegetables
Bake the filo tart until golden brown
Let it cool slightly, and serve!

How to serve it

This Caramelized Butternut Squash, Leek, and Feta Cheese Filo Tart is perfect for a fall lunch, an unexpected appetizer or first coarse, or, a vegetarian dinner. Adding some pancetta to the filling adds yet another layer of great flavors. A natural pairing of this savory tart is a bright green salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette, such as this Classic Greek salad!

Making it ahead

Make it ahead: this filo tart can be made up to five hours ahead of time and stored uncovered at room temperature.

How to reheat it: before serving, reheat it for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

How to store the leftovers: any leftover filo tart can be lightly covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

This recipe is in collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find this all purpose filo dough, the country-style, or the thinner filo at Whole Foods, Fresh Market and several other local stores. I love the quality of all the Fillo Factory products and I always make sure to stash a couple of boxes in the freezer!

Caramelized Butternut Squash, Leek and Feta Filo Tart/Pie

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

A delicious fall tart made with several layers of crispy filo pastry as a base and topped with caramelized fall roasted vegetables, cheeses and fresh herbs.

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Tart - Vegetable Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Serves: 6

Ingredients

½ small Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 1.25 lbs.)
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided (for the vegetables and for brushing on the filo)
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
--pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
8 sheets of Filo dough
8 oz. good quality, full-fat, Ricotta cheese, strained and at room temperature
3-4 oz. Greek Feta cheese, cut into small pieces
2 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
--- the leaves of 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

The Filo dough. Take the thawed package of Filo dough out of the refrigerator. Let it sit on the counter, still in the package, while you are prepping the filling. Filo dries easily, so only open it when all ingredients are prepped and cooked.
The oven. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375° F.
The vegetables. Cut the butternut squash into ½” cubes. Trim, wash and slice the leeks into ¼” rings. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add about three TBSPS. of olive oil, and stir in the sliced leeks. Season with some salt and pepper and cook for about 8 minutes until the leeks are soft and light brown. Remove them from the skillet and set them aside. To the same skillet, add some more olive oil and then add the diced butternut squash. Season it with salt, pepper and a pinch of the red pepper flakes (adjusted for how much heat you like). Cook for another 8 minutes, or so, until the squash is nicely caramelized. Stir in some thyme, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat, and let cool. This step can be done ahead of time.
The Ricotta. Mix together the strained Ricotta cheese (* see notes) with some fresh thyme and olive oil in a small bowl. Season it with salt and pepper and set aside. (Some lemon zest would be a great addition).
The Filo. Uncover the Filo dough package and take out a stack of eight sheets. Return the rest in the package and save in the refrigerator for another recipe. Cut through the stack of Filo with a sharp knife so you have a 12” square to fit a round, 8" pan.
Assembling the Base. Brush some olive oil on the bottom and sides of a round, 8” baking dish, pie plate, or, cast iron skillet. Place the first sheet of Filo on a clean surface, brush it with some extra virgin olive oil, and then place it over the pan, leaving the edges of Filo to hang over the edges of the pan itself. Continue with the remaining sheets of the Filo, brushing each sheet with olive oil and then placing it on top of the previous one, slightly off-center from the previous sheet, to create a star-like pattern in the round pan. Each time press the dough gently to stretch it all the way to the corners of the pan. Trim lightly the corners of the stack and then scrunch in the edges around the pastry and slightly over the filling to create a nice boarder. Brush this border lightly with the olive oil so it does not dry out.
Adding the Filling. Spread the Ricotta cheese evenly over the bottom of the Filo using an off-set spatula or flexible spreader. Add some of the leeks over the Ricotta, then arrange the cooked squash and the remaining leeks on top of the leek layer and sprinkle the Feta and the Gruyère to top off the pie.
Bake. Drizzle lightly with some olive oil and place the Filo tart in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or, until the crust is golden brown.
Cool. Let the tart cool for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting it into wedges to serve.

Notes

The reason we strain the Ricotta is to get rid of the excess moisture (whey), which could make the bottom of our tart soggy. To strain, put the Ricotta in a sieve that is lined with cheesecloth and is placed over a small bowl. Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or overnight, covered with plastic wrap.