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Roasted Summer Squash & Cheddar Cheese Pie

By Ashley English, Small Measure

Once the days of abundant sunshine are here, summer squashes push the pedal to overdrive and into full-throttle production mode. Maybe you’ve been the person overwhelmed with squash or zucchini. Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of someone else’s surplus. Either way, this pie puts those edible testaments of summer to scrumptious use. Add in some sweet pepper and fresh basil and you’ve got the very definition of the season in every delicious forkful.

You Will Need:
1/2 recipe Basic Pie Dough (recipe follows)

Filling:
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound yellow squash, sliced ¼ -inch thick
1/2 pound zucchini, sliced ¼ -inch thick
1/2 medium onion, sliced ¼ -inch thick
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced ¼ -inch thick
2 tsp sea salt, divided
Black pepper, to taste
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

To Make:
Roast the vegetables:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the yellow squash, zucchini, onion, and red pepper slices on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle ½ tsp of salt and several grinds of black pepper over everything.
4. Using clean hands or a metal spoon, toss the oil and seasonings with the vegetables until fully combined.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes, until vegetables are limp and slightly darkened.
6. Set aside to cool while you work on the piecrust.  .

Prepare the crust:

1. Remove one disk of chilled dough from the refrigerator.
2. Roll it out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
3. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch baking pan and trim the overhang to 1 inch.
4. Crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the bottom of the crust about 6-7 times with a fork. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
5. Line the piecrust with parchment and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.
6. Remove the dried beans or pie weights and parchment. Set the crust aside to cool slightly while preparing the filling.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Prepare the filling:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until well blended.
2. Add the milk, heavy cream, ½ tsp sea salt, several grinds of black pepper, dash of hot sauce, and chopped basil.
3. Whisk until all of the ingredients are fully combined.

Assemble the pie:

1. Place the roasted vegetables in the bottom of the piecrust.
2. Pour the filling over the vegetables.
3. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly atop the filling.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until the filling is set.
5. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Basic Pie Dough
Makes: Crust for one double-crust pie.

You Will Need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
3/4 cup ice water

To Make:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a medium-large mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, incorporate the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (you should still have rather large bits of butter and shortening when you're done).
3. Slowly drizzle in the ice water. Stir with a mixing spoon until the dough starts to clump.
4. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, and fold it together into itself using your hands. The dough should come together easily but should not feel overly sticky.
5. Cut the dough in half and shape into two balls. Wrap each dough ball in cellophane and refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. Proceed according to the pie recipe instructions above.