Ingredients

  • 3 pounds squash kabocha or other yellow-fleshed, such as delicata, acorn or butternut; I used butternut
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes dried, more or less to taste
  • kosher salt or Coarse sea
  • 1 yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 slices country bread 1-inch thick
  • 1/2 cup ricotta goat cheese, feta or mascarpone, I used part-skim ricotta
  • 4 tablespoons mint leaves chopped

Method

  • Preheat oven to 450F. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cut squash into 1/4-inch thick slices. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and chile flakes until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet and roast until tender and slightly colored, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the density of the squash you use), flipping once about 2/3 of the way through. With my butternut squash, I roasted for 30 minutes. Leave the roasted squash on the tray.
  • While squash is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add vinegar and syrup and reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are jammy and broken down, another 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Pile onions on top of roasted squash, still on their baking sheet. Use a fork to gently half-mash the mixture; it doesn't have to be uniformly combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil per slice of bread, and cook bread until just golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Tip: I just used a toaster and skipped the oil all together. Spread cheese on toasts, heap with the squash-onion mixture, sprinkle with coarse salt and garnish with mint.