Recipe: Savoury Pumpkin Tart

Recipe and photos by Melissa from (@seasonserveblog).

Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season (aka the busy season). With friends and family coming around, things might get a bit hectic in the kitchen and around the dinner table. But I have you covered with a plan to pull off the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer.

This Savoury Pumpkin Tart is a great appetizer to serve your hungry guests this Thanksgiving! The components can be made the day before, and the entire tart can be assembled and baked just before guests arrive. Follow the plan below to make this delicious festive appetizer!

The Day Before

Roast your pumpkin. Roasting the pumpkin is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, so getting it done the day before really saves time on the big day. I use pumpkin pie pumpkins for this recipe as they are nice and meaty and have tons of pumpkin flavour. Cut the pumpkin into 1-cm thick slices before tossing with olive oil, salt, pepper, and roasting.

Strain your ricotta. Fresh ricotta cheese holds a lot of liquid, and liquid and puff pastry are not the best of friends. To avoid a soggy pastry, place the ricotta cheese in a strainer lined with cheesecloth (paper towel works too) over a bowl and let it strain for one hour. The liquid drains out of the ricotta and will keep the base of the tart nice and crisp.

Mix it up. Once the ricotta has drained, place it in a bowl and add some freshly grated parmesan cheese and ground nutmeg. The nuttiness of the parm and nutmeg pairs so well with the roasted pumpkin and goes well with sage too. Add in some salt and pepper to season, then place the mixture back in the refrigerator until tomorrow.

Caramelize the shallots. Caramelizing shallots (and any other type of onion) can take some time, so preparing this the day before is super helpful. Simply add the sliced shallots to a frying pan with some olive oil, salt, and brown sugar, and cook slowly over medium-low heat until soft and caramelized.

Thaw your puff pastry. Remember to take out your puff pastry from the freezer and let it thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. Thawing on the counter is not recommended!

The day of

Assemble. Now that everything is prepared, you can assemble the tart. Simply unwrap your puff pastry and roll it out into a 8×10-inch rectangle. Then top with a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, caramelized shallots, and the roasted pumpkin slices.

Make it golden. Be sure to leave a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the tart base so that the puff pastry can rise and form a crust that will hold everything together. To make these edges look beautiful and golden, brush a light layer of egg wash along them using a pastry brush. Then simply bake until the entire crust and the bottom of the tart are golden brown.

Add the final touch. While this tart looks gorgeous after it is baked, a final touch of crispy fried sage leaves and an extra sprinkle of grated parmesan really pull all the flavours together—and make it taste like a proper Thanksgiving recipe!

I hope that you enjoy this festive recipe with your family and friends this Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to tag #TastingVictoria, and #SeasonServeBlog on social media to show off your creation!

Hungry for more Thanksgiving recipes? Do you want to see how to make this savoury Pumpkin Tart from scratch? Check out Melissa’s video below!

Recipe: Savoury Pumpkin Tart

Servings: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Pumpkin:

  • 1 pumpkin pie pumpkin (approx. 2.5 kg or 5 pounds)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Cheese Mixture:

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese

  • ½ cup paremesan cheese, finely grated

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Shallots:

  • 3 shallots (~1 cup), sliced

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Tart & Egg Wash:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

  • All-purpose flour, for rolling out

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 1 tablespoon water

For the Garnish:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

  • 10 sage leaves, washed and dried

  • 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, finely grated

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. Use a sharp knife to remove the top of the pumpkin and scoop out all of the seeds and inner membrane. Carefully slice the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Cut the pumpkin into 1-cm thick semi-circle slices.

  3. Arrange the pumpkin slices onto the parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer, then top with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to coat the pumpkin slices evenly on both sides, then bake for 1 hour or until the pumpkin is soft and golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

  4. While the pumpkin is baking, strain the ricotta. Place the ricotta cheese in a strainer lined with cheesecloth (or paper towel) and drain over a bowl. Place the cheese in the refrigerator for 1 hour to let the liquid drain from the cheese.

  5. Once drained, discard the liquid and add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and the pepper to the ricotta and mix to combine. Place in the refrigerator for later use.

  6. While the ricotta is straining, caramelize the shallots. Add the olive oil to a frying pan over medium-low heat, along with the sliced shallots, salt, and brown sugar. Cook the shallots for 15-20 minutes, stirring often until they are soft. Set aside and let cool completely.

  7. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

  8. To assemble the tart, roll out a sheet of puff pastry into a 8×10-inch rectangle then place it on the parchment-lined baking tray.

  9. Add the ricotta mixture to the center of the tart and spread out using an offset spatula, making sure to leave a 1-inch border around the entire tart. Add the slices of roasted pumpkin on top, followed by the caramelized shallots.

  10. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash along the border of the tart.

  11. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown on the top and bottom of the tart.

  12. While the tart is baking, make the fried sage. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sage leaves turn crispy and are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

  13. Once the tart is cooked, top with the fried sage leaves and a final sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese. Slice into rectangles and serve immediately.