Cooking time: 30 min
Cream Sherry is a perfect pairing here. The nuttiness in the wine echoes the nuttiness of the squash, while the pomegranate seeds offer explosive bursts of acidity that further enhance the wine.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut bread into 1/4” slices to create small toasts. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until the bread starts to turn golden brown along the edges. Remove from oven when ready and set aside to cool.
Slice pomegranate in half and scoop out all of the seeds and place the seeds into a bowl. Set aside. Chop mint leave, set aside. Chop onion, set aside. Slice off the ends of the butternut squash. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the entire squash. Then chop the squash into small bite sized cubes. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat up the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook until the onion becomes translucent (3-5 minutes). Stir frequently so that it does burn. Once the onion starts to turn translucent, add in the butternut squash. Saute until the butternut squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork (15-20 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently so that the squash doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn! Remove from heat and set aside once cooked through.
Prepare your toasts. Spread a spoonful of ricotta cheese on top of each toasted piece of bread. Add a spoonful of the butternut squash mixture. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and chopped mint leaves on top. Repeat until all of the toasts have been topped.
Enjoy!
The ideal temperature at which to serve a Cream is 12ºC. It may also be consumed as an aperitif, or as a cocktail served with ice and a slice of orange.
It is the ideal dessert wine; perfect to accompany fruit (melon, orange) pastries or ice-cream. It can also be paired very well with foie gras and blue cheeses.
Serve chilled, between 10 & 12º C.
Delicious with pastries and fruit, but also with the foie.
Serve in a white wine glass, or wide rimmed glass with ice.