It’s the Holiday season… and dupe dee dew, and hickory dock and don’t forget to hang up the clock cause Christmas-y time of yearrrrrrr.
Sure, I might have free-styled on the lyrics there, but that soundtrack is on repeat in my head and rightfully so! It’s the best time of year and I’m so here for it!
The decorating, the cooking, the carols (even if I don’t know all of the words), it’s the only time of year where I deliberately try to slow down, be fully present and soak up all the season has to offer.
What would the holidays be without some unique dishes to pepper your holiday feast?!
This savory pie most certainly deserves a seat at your table this year. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a complete show-stopper.
I have to give credit to my girl Giada De Laurentiis (because we’re tight… in my mind). She had a Holiday cooking show and showed how “Crostatas” were a staple in her Italian family. Basically, it’s an Italian-based, open-faced tart or pie.
I loved the idea of it because you can really switch-up the filling and create your own unique staple by making it sweet or savory.
I decided to stick with her butternut squash recipe though, because I’m a fan, except I added in rosemary and made a few additional dietary swaps.
I made it dairy-free with my own rosemary-cashew “cheese” (she used ricotta).
It’s so flavorful and easy to make, plus it meets my dairy-free preferences because dairy is known to be inflammatory and difficult to digest.
I also made it gluten-free (again, for easier digestion) with a frozen pie crust that I found at Whole Foods. I actually used TWO crusts which altered the traditional crostata look a bit (which is why I switched the name to “pie”), but did not impact the amazing flavor.
So, (if you’re keeping score), this dish is gluten-free, dairy-free/vegan.
Now, to get started you chop up and season your veggies. That means your butternut squash and onion.
Bake it for 30-45 minutes (this is what it looks like cooked) and while it’s cooking you make your creamy, rosemary cashew cheese.
Simply blend your cashews that have soaked in water for about 30 minutes, along with a little water, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, nutritional yeast and rosemary. It’s literally done in a matter of seconds.
Once your veggies have cooked, place it inside the thawed pie crust and put dollops of the cashew cheese on top.
You then take your other pie crust and cover the squash. (I had high hopes of making a lattice pattern Ina Garten would be jelly of, but that thing would not pop out easily, SO I opted for a nice patchwork-style pattern. 😬)
Lastly, bake your pie for about 45 minutes, top with a little arugula and fresh pomegranates and serve.
The result… a delicious, savory, hearty pie.
The rosemary is the star favor, coupled with the sweetness of the butternut squash and the creaminess of the rosemary cashew cheese.
You also get a little tartness with a pop of pomegranate, then it finishes off with a little butteriness from the perfectly cooked, flaky crust.
The flavors meld so well together, it just screams HOLIDAYS!
It’s such a unique side dish and looks so pretty on the table. It’s totally worth making and really takes minimal effort,
So, switch up your sweet pie-game for The Holidays and opt for this savory dish. It’s sure to become a holiday staple in YOUR family.
Happy Holidays from my family to yours! 🌲
Rosemary Butternut Squash Pie Ingredients:
- One butternut squash cubed (2-3 cups)
- 1 red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 5 rosemary sprigs
- Two 9-inch gluten free frozen pie crust, chilled
- 1 c. rosemary cashew cheese (see step 6 below)
- 1/2 cup baby arugula
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
Directions:
- Place one cup of raw cashews in a bowl, cover cashews with water and set aside for 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Chop up your squash and onion. Peel the squash skin with a vegetable peeler, cut off the top of the squash and the bottom then cut it in half, scoop out seeds and flesh then cut into cubes. (If you use pre-cut squash it’s around 2 to 3 cups.)
- Place squash and onions on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary. Toss well to coat evenly.
- Roast squash at least 30-45 minutes until tender.
- Make CASHEW CHEESE.
-Drain off water and place cashews in a blender along with:
-1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
-1 garlic clove
-the juice of 1/2 of a lemon
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 rosemary sprig, chopped
-2 tbsp of water (or more just to get it moving).
=Blend, taste, add more sea salt if needed.
**Will use 1 cup of the cheese for pie. - Place thawed pie crust in a pie pan, place a few dollops of the cashew cheese on the bottom, then pour cooled squash mixture inside, top squash with a few more dollops of the cashew cheese, 1 cup total.
- Take second pie crust and make strips with a knife, cover the top of the squash. Leave a few slits in pie for cooking.
- Place pie onto a baking sheet, bake until the crust is golden brown about 30-45 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the arugula and pomegranate seeds and enjoy!
NOTES:
*Some stores sell vegan cashew cheese. For a time savor use it, add rosemary and a little water and re-blend it at home for use.
*Ralps and Whole Foods sell the gluten-free pie crust I used “Wholly Wholesome Gluten-free Pie Crust” it comes in a two-pack.
*For your cashew cheese, you can soak cashews up to four hours. The longer it soaks, the creamier it can be. I only did 30 minutes while I prepped my veggies. It was still great and creamy.
