Squash and Basil Ricotta Pie
As someone who spent 7 or 8 Thanksgivings being a vegetarian, I try to keep meat out of the meal except for the bird. I can tell you that any attempt whatsoever to accommodate dietary restrictions is very much appreciated.. We don't want tofurky. We don't want to just eat mashed potatoes. And we definitely don't want to bring our own food unless it's a potluck. As a good host, you should make sure everyone feels equally welcome and accommodated to the best of your ability. Of course last minute things come up and there's no reason to stress over those, but if you know a vegetarian is coming, ask them if there's anything special they'd like - it'll make a world of a difference.
A few weeks ago my college roommate Madeline posted the most beautiful zucchini rose pie on her insta story, and I knew it would be a great Thanksgiving dish. She explained how they made it, and with that guidance, I set off to make my own.
I've been a pie crust making machine over here, and had one single dough left to use and I knew this would be a great spot for it. Since most of my pie plates will be spoken for at Thanksgiving, I decided to use a tart pan for this but a pie plate works just as well. It's also important to par bake this crust as the squash will emit a lot of water, and the ricotta has a lot of moisture in it too. But don't worry, there will be no soggy bottoms here. I would say that this should be made right before you serve it because even though the crust will hold up to the ricotta and vegetable liquid for a bit, it will eventually succumb to the evil moisture gods. You can however par bake your crust up to two days ahead of time, keeping in an air tight container, to cut off 30-45 minutes from your prep time day of.
This is super easy to make, especially if you have a mandoline or thick vegetable peeler. I decided to use yellow squash and zucchinis, but thinly sliced onions and other winter squash would be great additions. I also used store bought ricotta and pesto because it's just not worth it to make your own while the food olympics are happening.
Squash and Ricotta Pie
Ingredients
1 prepared pie dough, homemade or store-bought
5 yellow squash
5 zucchini
8 oz whole milk ricotta
4 oz basil pesto
salt and pepper
lemon
Tools
Mandoline
Knife
Cutting Board
9 inch Pie Plate or Tart Pan
Rolling Pin
Fork
Small Bowl
Parchment Paper
Pie Weights or Dried Beans
Oven or Toaster Oven
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare tart or pie plate by rolling out the dough to fit into the pan. If using a tart pan, take the rolling pin and roll over the top rim to cut the pie dough flush with the pan. If using a pie plate, cut off all but 1 1/2 inch excess, roll it under, and crimp pie dough to make a crust like a normal pie. Use a fork and press the tines into the dough, all over, so when it bakes it doesn't puff up. Take your parchment paper, which should be big enough to be crumpled up, flattened back out, and placed into the pie plate to cover all the dough. Fill the prepared plate with pie weights all the way to top to prevent the dough from falling down. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes and then carefully take out the weights and toss the parchment paper. If making a few days ahead, seal in an airtight container once fully cooled. If making right before serving, continue on.
Set oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and the pesto until fully combined, and spread it all into an even layer on the bottle of the pie crust. Set aside.
Now take your squash and cut off the stem and the bottom to create straight ends. Thinly slice the squash, either with the thinnest setting on the mandoline, with a peeler, or a knife. The pieces should be less than a 1/4 inch but thick enough to stand up on its own. Continue with all squash until complete.
Starting on the outside of the pie plate, start placing squash slices skin side up, around the inside rim, over lapping the slices by an inch or so, and switching colors, imitating flower petals. Continue placing slices until you've reached the middle, where you can try to wrap a squash slice into a circle, but I had to break mine and place them in the middle. If you have any leftover slices, feel free to add them into the pie anywhere that needs a little extra love. Top with a few sprinkles of salt and pepper, and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the squash has cooked and started to crisp on the top, and the dough has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven, and use the lemon to squeeze juice over the top of the squash.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, serve immediately.
Happy Thanksgiving Eating!
Kelly