From “The Neighbors are Here! (March 2018)

If making this ahead store it unbaked in the refrigerator overnight and bake shortly before serving.  Once baked the filo will get soggy.  You can make this with any vegetables, it’s a good way to use up extras from the garden.

One very small butternut squash, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed (if you can’t find a small one, use half and use the remaining half to make soup.
3 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 T butter
1 leek, white part only, sliced (rinse if sandy)
8 large mushrooms, sliced
¼ C sherry or port
Salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1-15 oz. container whole milk ricotta
1 egg
6-oz. fontina cheese, shredded
1 t fresh thyme
4 oz. butter melted
8 sheets filo
Heat oven to 375°.

Brush a small cookie sheet with some of the 3 T of olive oil.  Place the butternut squash on the cookie sheet, brush it with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet.  Add the leek and mushrooms and sauté until the leeks start to brown.  Add the sherry or port, and season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Combine ricotta, egg, shredded fontina, and thyme in a medium bowl and set aside.

Once the butternut squash is cool enough to handle slice thinly.

Butter a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with some of the melted butter.

Place a sheet of filo on a work surface and brush with melted butter.  Place another sheet of filo crisscross a top the first sheet and brush it with butter.  Continue to brush and crisscross each sheet of filo until you’ve buttered all 8 sheets.  Pick up the buttered filo and line the pie pan with it, pressing into the pan.  There will be a lot of overhang.

Spoon the ricotta mixture into the filo lined pan, smooth to the edges.  Top with the mushrooms and leeks and arrange the butternut squash slices over the mushrooms and leeks.  Fold the filo over the filling, the filo won’t completely cover the filling ingredients, there will be butternut squash showing.

Place in the preheated oven and bake 35-45 minutes or until the filo is golden brown.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 8