Butternut Squash Tart with Hazelnuts

This hearty vegetarian tart has some great textures and flavours: Sweet butternut squash, crunchy hazelnuts, and cheesy nutritional yeast all served on top of a fibrous, nutty pie base.

I like the combination of hazelnuts and butternut squash but I guess cashews or walnuts could also be used as an alternative. Dry roasted hazelnuts can be bought in bulk which saves time, but it's also relatively easy to do at home simply by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes at 190C / 375F. Remove shells by rubbing nuts between palms.

Once cooled, individual slices can be wrapped in cling film and frozen for future meals. I've also doubled the ingredients for this dish and made the tart in a 9inch pie dish with a deeper base, and then cut into 8.

Butternut Squash Tart with Hazelnuts
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 13g / 2tbsp flaxseed meal
- 120ml / 4floz water
- 56g / 2oz almonds
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 60g / 2oz flour
- 450g / 16oz / 1 small butternut squash, cubed
- 85g / 3oz onion, chopped
- 30g / 1oz hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 16g / 2tbsp nutritional yeast
- ground black pepper

Method:
Combine flaxseed with water.
Grind almonds in a food processor along with oats and flour. Add the flax mixture and pulse until into a dough. Press the dough into a pie/tart pan lined with parchment.

Bake in the oven at 190C / 375F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Lightly spray the butternut squash cubes with cooking spray and ground a little black pepper (if desired) and then roast in the oven at 200C / 400F for 30 minutes, until tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Add 1tbsp water to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until onions are browned.

Transfer onions and roasted squash to a large bowl and add hazelnuts, egg, and nutritional yeast. Gently stir to combine, grinding a little black pepper.

Spoon mixture into pie base and pat down gently. Bake in the oven at 200C / 400F for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is hot.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into quarters. Serve with green vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

In addition to my first chocolate nut spread recipe - made with almonds - this hazelnut version is like the original Nutella. As highlighted in the previous post, the first ingredient in Nutella isn't nuts, but sugar! A two tablespoon serving has 200 calories, 12g fat and 21g sugar. Full nutritional information is here.

I love snacking, so spreading this healthier alternative to Nutella on top of rice cakes makes a tasty treat. A 30g serving of the recipe below only has 119 calories and less than 9g fat and just over 5.5g sugar.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Makes 10 (30g) servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 140g / 5oz hazelnuts, roasted
- 60g / 3tbsp honey
- 25g / 5tbsp cocoa powder, natural unsweetened
- 75ml / 5tbsp almond milk, unsweetened

Method:
If not already roasted, toast the hazelnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes at 190C / 375F. Remove shells by rubbing nuts between palms.
In a food processor, pulse the nuts into a powder and then keep blending until a smooth butter/paste is formed.

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix together.

Spoon into an air tight container and store in the fridge. ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: