Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Tart

I love tarts. I love roasted vegetables. Fine Cooking did a beautiful thing when they proposed marrying the two together in the most recent issue of the magazine. This looks like a lot of steps, but it's not really, and this meal came together so quickly...I can't even tell you how tasty and amazing this tart is, you guys. The tart dough is so delicate and flaky, and the rich flavor of the roasted vegetables add depth to this light tart. Fine Cooking suggested prosciutto, which is what I intended to use, but mine seems to have disappeared...I know a certain boy in my house who loves it and could eat it like water...so I'm thinking it went the way of a lunch. Instead, I used roasted chicken thighs, but you could use bacon, chicken, or any other meat you wanted to add, or you could keep it vegetarian. Either way, it's delicious!

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Tart
Ingredients:

For the filling
Olive oil, for the pan
1-1/2 cups 1/2-inch-dice butternut squash
3/4 cup sliced carrot (1/2-inch-thick half-moons)
3/4 cup sliced leek, white and light green parts only (1/2-inch-thick rounds)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cauliflower
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
I cup finely chopped, cooked chicken (I used thighs that I had previously roasted)
For the crust
6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
6 oz. (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
For assembly
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg, beaten

Make the filling – (I did this step the day before)
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

2. Toss the vegetables and rosemary with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in the baking dish. Add the lemon zest, juice, and thyme; toss to combine. Cover with foil and roast until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and let cool.

Make the crust (you could do this by hand – just a lot faster in the food processor)
1. Turn the oven temperature up to 400°F.

2. Pulse the flour, butter, cream cheese, and salt in a food processor until the dough begins to clump together, about fifteen 1-second pulses.

3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and gently knead once or twice to help it come together. Dust a 12x17- inch sheet of parchment with flour.

4. Roll the dough on the parchment into a 16-inch round that’s about 1/8 inch thick (two sides will go beyond the paper). It’s OK if it’s not a perfect circle and the edges look rough.

Assemble and bake
1. Spread the cream cheese on the dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border. Transfer the dough on the parchment to a 13x18-inch baking sheet; the edges will hang over the sides.

2. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top of the cheese, mounding it slightly in the center. Top with the chicken. Fold the edge of the dough over the edge of the filling to create pleats that are 1-1/2 inches wide. Brush the pleated dough with the beaten egg.

3. Bake until the crust, including the pleats, is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before serving. (Good luck waiting that long.)