Rialto Restaurant & Bar

Upside Down Autumn Squash Cake with Phyllo Crust

Makes 4 entrée servings

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, sliced ¼-inch thick

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1pound mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon garum or South East Asian fish sauce

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 autumn squash, about 1 pound, peeled,  halved, seeds removed and cut into ¼-inch slices

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

4 sheets phyllo dough

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 3 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, cover for 4 minutes and then remove the cover and allow the mushrooms to cook until tender and golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper, cinnamon, pomegranate molasses and thyme.  Remove from the heat and cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10 inch overproof sauté pan over medium heat.

In a small bowl, toss the squash with salt and pepper to coat evenly.  Arrange the squash slices in an overlapping spiral.  Cover with the mushrooms.  Sprinkle evenly with ¼ cup cheese.

Lay a phyllo sheet on a clean dry flat surface.  Brush with oil and cheese.  Lay a second sheet on top and brush with oil and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat with the remaining 2 sheets brushing the final sheet with oil and sprinkling with cheese.  Cut the stack in half crosswise and set on stack on top of the other so the resulting stack has 8 layers.  Cut off the corners so the phyllo can fit over the vegetables in the pan.

Set the sauté pan on a medium high heat.  When you hear the oil start to sizzle, move the pan to the floor of the oven and cook until the pastry is crisp and brown and the squash is tender and golden brown.  Check the squash by picking up the edge of the pastry to expose the vegetables.

When the cake is done, flip it on to a large plate.  Cut into wedges