Sweet Potato And Pear Pancake

* Substitute butternut squash for sweet potatoes or apples for pears, if you wish.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Melt the butter. Peel and thinly slice sweet potatoes. Peel, halve, core and thinly slice the pear. Butter a 9-inch cake or pie pan.

Arrange a layer of sliced sweet potatoes in the pan, overlapping them slightly in a neat pattern. Gently press layer with your hands to flatten it slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little melted butter.

Top with half the pear slices, sprinkling them with 1 Tbsp maple syrup and more butter. Add a layer of sweet potato, then the remaining pears then the remaining sweet potato, each time pressing gently and seasoning as directed.

Drizzle top with the rest of the melted butter. Cover the dish with foil and then cover with a lid. Bake in the lower third of oven for 40 minutes.

Remove lid and foil and bake until lightly golden and tender, about 25 minutes more. If you'd like to glaze the pancake further, place the pan directly on the floor of the oven for about 5 minutes (watch carefully so as to prevent over browning).

Remove pan from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully invert the pan onto a large round platter and let the pancake settle. Remove the baking pan carefully.

Serve hot, cut into wedges.

To prepare in advance, cover the pancake with foil, then reheat.