Fall Bruschetta

Hubby and I are off to Canada for a long weekend today. We’re going to see Niagara Falls with some friends from college. I’m really looking forward to the extra long weekend. But don’t worry, I have some posts scheduled to keep you guys company while we’re away. I finally admitted to myself (and my stomach) that fall has arrived. So now I’m starting to get really excited about all the fall baking that I have coming up!

This bruschetta screams fall to me. I brought it to Megan’s surprise birthday party and it was a big hit. As you can see, the recipe includes butternut squash, apple, and eggplant. I honestly couldn’t taste the apple or eggplant, so if I made this again, I’d probably leave them out unless I had some in the house to get rid of… Since I can’t eat ricotta, I subbed goat cheese. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. When the topping came out of the oven, I tasted it and thought it needed some texture. So I added some toasted walnuts. The texture was a nice addition and I’m glad I made it!

This fall bruschetta is a great appetizer to bring to a potluck or party. I brought all of the components (toasts, goat cheese, and topping), then assembled them once we got to Megan’s place. It worked out really well.

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Fall Bruschetta

Yield: Serves 10

Ingredients:

For the Toasts:
1 baguette
Olive oil

For the Caramelized Onion:
1 red onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar

For the Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups finely diced eggplant, unpeeled
1 cup finely diced apple,unpeeled
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 cup goat cheese, at room temp

Directions:

To make the Toasts:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into 1/2" slices & lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle the bread slices with some olive oil & bake for about 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

To make the Caramelized Onions:
Quarter & thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the onions, balsamic vinegar & sugar. Cook until the onions are softened & all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

To make the Topping:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the butternut squash, eggplant, apple, 1 Tbsp olive oil & smoked paprika. Season with salt & pepper. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the squash is just tender.

Transfer to a mixing bowl; add the onions and walnuts. Toss well. Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, if needed.

To assemble:
Spread a bit of ricotta cheese over each toast, then spoon some of the bruschetta on top. Transfer to a serving platter & serve.

Recipe adapted from The Parsley Thief

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11 Responses to “Spicy Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Lentil Salad”

  1. #
    1
    Shannon — November 16, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    Ooh, that sounds great!

  2. #
    2
    Emily — November 16, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    That sounds pretty incredible! Love your 5 day idea 🙂

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    3
    amanda @ fake ginger — November 16, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    That looks delicious! I wish I could convince my husband to eat squash. 🙁

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    4
    Boston Food Diary — November 16, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    LOVE this! Lentils are DELICIOUS and sooo good for you! This looks perfect!

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    5
    Nutmeg Nanny — November 16, 2010 at 5:53 pm

    Such a delicious filling salad! You pretty much had me at goat cheese…my favorite!

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    Megan — November 16, 2010 at 6:14 pm

    I made the Bon Appetit version last year with pumpkin. It was soo good. I actually had thought it would be good with butternut squash too. Great salad!

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    7
    Cara — November 17, 2010 at 1:29 am

    I’ve been eyeing that recipe since the original in BA and again since SK posted it. Where do you get your uncooked black lentils?

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    8
    Jen — November 17, 2010 at 2:29 am

    Cara – I used the Goya brand lentils from my grocery store. They were greenish brown.

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    9
    Taylor — November 17, 2010 at 4:00 am

    This looks awesome…I have some lentils I have been wanting to use, so this will be perfect!

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    10
    Shannon — November 17, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    i made this too and it was AWESOME 🙂

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    11
    Fun and Fearless in Beantown — November 19, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    I love the combination of hearty lentils, sweet and spicy butternut squash and tangy goat cheese. I can imagine every flavor in this!

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