I always keep a box of phyllo in my fridge because I know I can create a quick and easy tart using whatever vegetables I have on hand. In this case I had a bag of shaved brussels sprouts that I got from Trader Joe’s and some leftover roasted butternut squash and before I knew it, a tart was born!
Phyllo is so forgiving and that’s why I like it, you can wing it, patch it and it still looks beautiful in the end. I usually use five or six layers for my 9″ tart pan, each layer sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with grated romano or parmesan then topped with the cheese of your choice so that all the toppings can sink right into it. I like to use a cheese that melts really good like fontina, gruyere, mozzarella or asiago which happened to be the one I chose for mine. I recommend grating your cheese first then spreading it evenly all over the top, I got lazy as you can see, but it still worked!
My squash was already roasted and the brussels sprouts were quickly sauteed in olive oil until they wilted slightly.
Ready for the oven!
The phyllo gives this tart a nice crispy, crunchy bottom which is a great base to hold all your toppings. The sky’s the limit on what to top your tart with, another favorite I love is caramelized onions, butternut squash and kale, try that next time around!
All you need is a salad or a bowl of soup along side this tart and it becomes the perfect dinner, lunch or brunch.
Congratulations to Terri of Terri’s Table, you’re the winner of my giveaway and the book, SOUTHERN ITALIAN DESSERTS!
- 9" removable bottom tart pan, sprayed or brushed with olive oil
- 6 sheets of phyllo dough
- 10 oz. bag of shaved brussels sprouts or shave your own by using the slicing disk on your food processor.
- 1 cup of diced and pre-roasted butternut squash
- shredded asiago cheese, enough to completely cover tart pan
- ½ cup or so, grated romano or parmesan cheese
- olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400F and prepare tart pan by brushing or spraying with olive oil
- You need to wilt the brussels sprouts by either placing them in the oven on a roasting pan drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper or stove top just for a few minutes.
- Place the first sheet of phyllo into tart pan, press down and fit it in, spray or brush sheet with olive oil then sprinkle with romano and black pepper, repeat remaining 5 sheets the same way making sure to always cover your phyllo with wax paper while working with it so it doesn't dry out.
- Distribute shredded asiago all over.
- Spread the sprouts all over the shredded cheese then dot with the pre-roasted butternut squash.
- Drizzle top of the tart with olive oil and sprinkle more romano cheese all over.
- Place in oven 20-25 minutes or until phyllo is nice and golden.
I love making desserts using ricotta so when I first saw this recipe in the cookbook, 
I received this book for review written by Rosetta Costantino she’s also the author of the acclaimed, My Calabria. I was instantly drawn in by the cover photo which was a beautiful watermelon pudding tart, I’ve never seen anything like it. When summer returns to Chicago and watermelon is back in season I’m definitely going to make that!
For the stuffed pears I needed almond paste which I didn’t have, no worries she tells you how to make it in the book along with many other tips. It was actually quite simple to make, blanched almonds, sugar, water and a little almond extract whirled until it forms a paste in the food processor.
The key is to find firm but ripe fat bottomed pears so you’ll have plenty of room to stuff them with the ricotta mixture.
As the pears are baking the ricotta mixture puffs up inside and over the top. The recipe gives you the option to then eat it as is, or to drizzle the pears with a chocolate sauce.
Obviously I went with the chocolate!
Beautiful weather set the scene for a perfect day at Millennium Park as I perused my way through 
One of the things I really enjoy doing is attending the live cooking demonstrations, the venue where they have it is very intimate, up front and personal, not a bad seat in the house! Loved this one in particular with 
Here’s a view of the culinary stage, I seriously could have spent the whole day there, I really wanted to see 
So many choices this doesn’t even scratch the surface, Mexican, Italian, Asian, Southern, French, American, Seafood, Brazilian, I could go on and on! There were several Chef Tasting Pavilions and yes, some had long lines but they seemed to move fairly quickly once they got going, besides it gave you a chance to slow down and digest a bit because in the tasting pavilions you would normally get anywhere from three to seven bites from the various restaurants featured.
Why don’t I make chimichurri sauce more often? It takes a good piece of meat and elevates it to another level!
I’ve learned from the past in order for me to make it through the day when sampling, you must pull off all bread products and just take a few bites, that’s it!
With the exception of a lobster roll!
Desserts were everywhere, sticky toffee pudding, root beer floats, cupcakes, gelato, apple and plum creations along with a separate Dessert Tasting Pavilion, which I didn’t even enter into for fear I might never come out!
There was plenty of charcuterie to nosh on while sampling your favorite drinks, small bites of proscuitto, salami and salty cheese, they even had a “protein bar” that was filled with cups of chili ready to go.
Wine of every variety, champagne, Patron, Stella, sake, whiskies, vodka, cognac, Grand Marnier, again I could go on and on. I encourage you to really sample what you like, mixing too many different things might not be such a good idea and remember to hydrate, there’s plenty of water stations all around.
I’m partial to Prosecco and the two brands that stood out for me were
Deep blue skies in Chicago, great food and drink, nice crowd, entertainment and education, what more could you ask for on a beautiful Sunday afternoon?
Hope to see you next year!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
