This butternut squash galette with goat cheese is an elegant, rustic tart. It’s perfect for both novice and more advanced cooks, and works well as a fall or winter party appetizer. You can prepare the dough and filling up to two days beforehand, then bake everything before guests arrive! Your kitchen will smell amazing.
We had many requirements at culinary school, one of which was to assist three recreational cooking classes. I loved doing this and volunteered often.
On one particular evening, I assisted a pastry class where the students were making an assortment of tarts. The chef described a galette as a “rustic tart” and then smirked, stating:
“I love the word ‘rustic’. It means it doesn’t have to be pretty.”
Looking back, I both agree and disagree with this statement. When using tart molds, I often spend a lot of time making sure the dough is perfectly formed.
Patience and practice yields a stunning result. Galettes are much easier, and their imperfections are what make them beautiful, in my opinion.
What is a Galette?
A galette is a rustic, free-form tart (either sweet or savory) prepared with a single crust, typically pastry or bread dough. Galettes are great for beginners because there’s no rolling the dough to an exact size, crimping the edges, or worrying about the dough shrinking in the oven. You simply place the filling in the center, leaving some space (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches) around the edges, and then you fold the ends around the filling.
I’ve noted in the recipe that you can substitute store-bought pie dough, but if you’ve been hesitant to try working with homemade dough, I think galettes are the perfect place to start.
This butternut squash galette recipe has a wonderful balance of flavors, and is perfect for entertaining. The shallots and goat cheese are savory and rich. You can get anywhere from 6-8 servings, depending on how thin you roll the dough, how big you want your slices and how much additional food is being served.
Butternut Squash Galette Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Shallots or yellow onions
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sage
- Goat cheese
Tips For a Perfect Butternut Squash Galette
- Make the dough and filling in advance (up to two days), then roll and bake before guests arrive. Both can be covered and stored in the refrigerator.
- Butter temperature is always an important factor to keep in mind when working with dough. If the butter is warm, the dough will become sticky and difficult to manage. If the butter is too cold, the dough might crack when you try to roll it. You want to work with chilled dough, but I recommend letting it rest for 3-5 minutes after removing it from the refrigerator.
- When using a food processor to prepare dough, you ideally want the machine running for the least amount of time possible once you add water. This helps create a flaky crust. You can let the dough form a ball, but it result in a tougher crust. If you stop the machine once the ingredients are mixed but still crumbly, you can press them together by hand. I do this while wrapping the dough in plastic wrap.
- One time I made the filling and skipped the galette. It’s freaking amazing over baby arugula.
More Galette Recipes
If you love this recipe, you should also try my Plum Galette with Mascarpone and Rosemary. my Apple, Cheddar, and Caramelized Onion Galette. and Mini Zucchini Ricotta Galettes!
Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette
Ingredients
For the Pâte Brisée Tart Dough (store-bought pie dough may be substituted)
- 6 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water
For the Filling
- 1 small butternut squash (approximately 1 - 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (yellow onions may be substituted)
- 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, plus more for topping
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, divided
- 1/4 cup chèvre goat cheese
Instructions
Prepare the Pate Brisee
- Add flour and salt to a food processor, pulsing several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off until the mixture is crumbly.
- Slowly add the water with the machine running until the dough begins to form a ball (see notes).
- Wrap in plastic wrap and press flat into a disc. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using so the butter can firm back up.
Prepare the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Toss the butternut squash in a very light coating of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender. (It will go back in the oven, so it's ok if it's slightly underdone).
- While the squash is roasting, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add a thin coating of olive oil to the bottom of the pan, about 1/2 tablespoon. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly caramelized, stirring and adjusting the heat if needed. Add the pecans and cook for an additional minute, followed by the cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried sage. Continue cooking until the spices are fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Once the squash has finished roasting, allow to cool for 5 minutes, and then gently toss with the shallot pecan filling (you can use the roasting pan or a large bowl). Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface until approximately 1/2 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to make a circle with the dough that's about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. (The best way to do this is to gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it on top of the baking sheet).
- Spread the roasted butternut squash evenly onto the dough, leaving about 2 inches around the edges. Top evenly with goat cheese, the remaining sage, and a light sprinkle of nutmeg.
- Fold the excess dough on top of the ingredients in a circle, until you have a tightly formed tart.
- Chill for 15 minutes (this helps the dough set and cook evenly).
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the goat cheese is browning and the dough is firm. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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Adrienne says
Wow, this galette looks amazing! I got some butternut squash from the market and I’ve been debating what to do with it… I think this may be my weekend cooking adventure! I made a peach croustade last month and I completely agree about the easiness of foods labeled as “rustic.” :)
wwkd says
This is a lovely idea – here in Vermont we have so many great chevres too – I will make variations of this throughout the winter – YUM – and thanks! (aka Wednesday’s Creations Studio)
Delizie Delizie says
Looks Delicious, I always say if it looks naturally good , even ‘ rustic ” which is one of the best it must be excellent. Because I am French (and Italian), yeah I know) I do love warm and cold goat cheese, so your galette it is on my next list of cooking..
And the pastry recipe .. thanks, good learning for me..
infinebalance says
“I love the word ‘rustic’. It means it doesn’t have to be pretty.”
love that! I may steal that saying…
and the gallette … that looks pretty to me.
melaniemaytaillon says
wow……. :O
Lauren says
This looks amazing! It’s definitely going on my list to try soon.
Rustic just means it doesn’t have to look pretty — love it!
Beth says
That looks delicious! I’ve never made a savory galette – I’ll have to give it a try!
ataleofthreekitchens says
This looks amazing! It combines some of the best flavors of fall. Can’t wait to try this!
bombedpop says
ooh this looks lovely, I may try with feta instead of goat cheese, I have a ton from my CSA share.
felisrecipes says
wow, this looks really amazing and yummy and I should try it this fall …
Jill says
Your readers who don’t like goat cheese should look for “farmstead” goat cheese and give it another try. Farmstead means the milk never goes off the farm, and thus it retains its natural sweet flavor instead of going goaty as it travels through centrifugal pumps. There’s a huge difference. Farmstead goat cheese is to die for. And with 1/3 less calories than cream cheese, farmstead chevre is much healthier. It’s worth the effort to seek it out…but usually only available March – September, as farmstead goat milk is typically seasonal only.
clarissaskitchen says
Love you blog! The photos are amazing! I will definitely try this recipe as I always have some butternut squash and want to make something different.
christinajane says
Beautiful. I’m not really sure what goats cheese is. We can buy all our cheese in a goats form at the markets (goats camembert, goats feta, goats haloumi) but I can’t see anything just called goat’s cheese at the supermarket. Is it salty like feta or creamy or…? Lovely combination of flavours and colours. I imagine fresh sage picked straight from the garden would work quite dandy!
Savory Simple says
There are an assortment of goat cheese’s here as well. I’ve seen many of the varieties you’re describing at the store. Most goat cheeses here are known for their dense, creamy consistency and tangy flavor. This is a good overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat_cheese
christinajane says
I found it – chevre! We import it from France and it’s available at deli’s. Squash aren’t in season yet here and I wasn’t clever enough to save some from last season.. so I will try it with normal NZ pumpkin, which may be a little watery for roasting.. We’ll see! Making it for summer picnic lunch this weekend :D Thanks for the recipe!
savorysweetsassy says
Hi! I’m loving your blog, I am a girl with dreams of culinary school, but who knows when that will happen.. i’ve been trained in restaurant kitchens, but not classically- currently I’m a stay at home mom. Anyway, I love reading about your experiences. And I am glad to see you love goat cheese, because this recipe looks like my favorite things all put together into a beautiful gallette. Thanks for sharing!!
emewamps says
Can’t wait to try this. I love your site!