BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SUPPER PIE

FOLD-UP PIE PASTRY         makes one 9" open-faced pie
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or sharp cheddar or gruyere)
3 tablespoons olive oil combined with 3 tablespoons of cold water
1 additional tablespoon of water, if needed
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Add the grated parmesan (or cheddar or gruyere) and toss a few times to combine. Add the olive oil and cold water, using a fork or your fingers to combine, until the mixture is moistened and you have a soft dough. (If it feels dry, add the additional tablespoon of water.) Gather into a disc, flatten it and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, into a circle roughly 12”-13” in diameter. Set the parchment paper with the dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate it while you prepare the filling.
 
1 (one pound) butternut squash,* peeled, seeds removed, cut into ½” cubes (enough to equal 2 cups of cubes)
1 or 2 medium baking apples, preferably Rome, Gala or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, cut into ½” cubes (enough to equal 2 cups of cubes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or sharp cheddar or gruyere)
2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
1 egg
½ cup heavy cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons heavy cream to use as egg wash
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil,  season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until tender. Remove the squash from the oven and transfer to a bowl to cool. Sauté the apple cubes in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Place in a bowl and let cool. Add one
​tablespoon of butter to the pan used for the apples and sauté the onion until soft and golden. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream (or half and half.) In a large bowl, combine the cooled roasted butternut squash, the cubed apples, the sautéed onion and the fresh sage. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg/cream mixture.
 
Remove the baking sheet with the pastry dough from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the filling in an even layer over the dough, being careful not to tear the bottom, leaving a 2”-3”border. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the filling and fold the border of the dough in on itself, creating a ruffle of crust all the way around the dough. It doesn’t have to be perfect; fold and pleat every few inches. Brush the border of the  pie with the egg wash. Return the pie to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. You will add the egg/heavy cream mixture just before you place it in the oven. Remove the baking sheet with the filled pie from the refrigerator, set it on the bottom rack of the oven, pull the rack out slightly and slowly pour the egg/heavy cream mixture over the filling, letting it absorb. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is set. (You can test it with the point of a small paring knife; the apples should be tender and the knife should come out clean.) Refrigerate any leftovers.
 
(* Trader Joe’s sells ready-to-cook butternut squash if you don’t feel like fussing with a whole squash.)