Although a tad elaborate, this vegetarian tart is hearty & substantial enough dish that will even satisfy meat-eaters. Self-taught vegetarian chef/blogger Sara Forte brought this recipe to The Times in 2012.

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• ¾ cup flour (unbleached all-purpose)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup cold butter, unsalted, sliced into cubes
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves (fresh)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

For the filling

• 3 cups butternut squash (cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
• Sea salt and black pepper (freshly ground)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, (remove stems, chop coarsely, about 6 cups chopped)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup Gruyère (grated)

Nutritional Information

• Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
  481 calories; 30 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 144 milligrams cholesterol; 642 milligrams sodium

Note:

The information shown is estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. This should not take the place of a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

1. For the crust: Add both flours and the salt into a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and thyme, and resume pulsing until pea-sized chunks form. Keep pulsing while adding vinegar, then the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Stop when the dough just barely holds itself together. Take the dough and form into into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and allow to chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to overnight if required.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Lightly flour a work surface, take your dough, and roll it into a 13 inch circle, roughly ¼ in thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin, and gently lift into an 11 in fluted tart pan (with a removable bottom.) Gently but firmly press the dough into the sides and edges, and patch up any holes. Softly roll the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan in order to remove any excess dough, as well as create a clean edge. Take a fork and prick the bottom of the dough, place parchment/baking paper on top, and fill with your desired pie weights (oven beads, rice, or even just rocks work). Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights & parchment, and bake an additional 10-12 minutes, until the top looks almost dry. Take out of oven and allow to cool.
4. While you wait for the crust to cool, you can prepare the filling. Toss the squash, ½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and nutmeg, onto a rimmed baking sheet. Spread into an even layer, and bake until the squash starts to brown its edges, approx. 20-25 minutes. Take out of oven and allow to cool.
5. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. When the garlic becomes fragrant and begins to sizzle a little, add the Swiss chard, pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté until the chard wilts, roughly 5 minutes, before transferring to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
6. Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion. Take the pan just used for the chard, and heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add your onion & a sprinkle of salt, stirring occasionally until caramelized (roughly 20 minutes). When your onions turn light brown, stir in the balsamic vinegar and take off the heat. The vinegar will be absorbed by the onions as they cool a little.
7. Take the Swiss chard, squeeze out excess water, and return to bowl. Take a separate bowl and whisk the eggs until well blended, then add to the bowl of chard. To the chard bowl, add 3/4ths of your squash, half the cheese, the onion, and season with black pepper. Gently combine everything, and pour into the tart pan, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese & squash across the top. Bake in oven until the top is browned, and the egg is just set, roughly 24-28 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 min before cutting into slices and serving hot!

Tip

• If you don’t have a fluted tart pan, this can be made in a springform pan. Many springform pans are roughly 9 in acros, meaning the crust will be slightly thicker, so make sure to gently press the dough up the sides evenly, just as in the tart pan. The filling will be deeper too, so allow a few minutes extra final baking time.