Rustic ricotta and pumpkin pie, sweet and savoury
An autumn savoury pie with a crisp puff pastry shell and a creamy filling of ricotta and roasted pumpkin, scented with rosemary and parmesan.
Are you looking for a pumpkin savoury pie that is creamy and full of flavour, without the soggy base that ruins so many autumn tarts?
Then this ricotta and roasted pumpkin version is for you. I will walk you through a crisp puff pastry shell holding a soft filling where the sweetness of the pumpkin meets parmesan and the scent of rosemary.
One single step makes the difference: roasting the pumpkin instead of boiling it. In the oven it loses water and concentrates its sugars, caramelising at the edges, while boiled pumpkin soaks up liquid and carries all that moisture straight into the pastry.
There are at least three advantages: very few ingredients, it can be made ahead, and it stays excellent at room temperature, which makes it ideal for a buffet or something to take along.
A practical note on choosing pumpkin: delica and kabocha have the driest, sweetest flesh, while more watery varieties need a few extra minutes in the oven. And if you want an extra touch, add a few cubes of smoked provola to the filling: the contrast with the sweetness always works.
Serve it warm, once the filling has settled and the pastry is still crisp, with a radicchio salad alongside. It keeps for two days in the fridge.
Ready? Let’s get started with the rustic ricotta and pumpkin pie.
Base preparations used
To make this recipe
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Oven tray or baking dish
Perfect for baking meatballs and vegetables. Choose a non-stick tray for better results and easy cleaning.
Steps
- Cut the pumpkin into 2 cm cubes, toss them with the oil, the chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, and spread them on a tray in a single layer.
- Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges. Roasting concentrates the flavour and drives off water, which boiling never does.
- Let the pumpkin cool slightly and crush it roughly with a fork: leaving a few whole pieces makes the filling far more interesting than a smooth purée.
- In a bowl, work the ricotta until creamy, then stir in the parmesan, the whole egg, a grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Fold the crushed pumpkin into the ricotta mixture without overmixing, so a few orange streaks stay visible.
- Unroll the pastry with its baking paper into a tin, prick the base, spread the filling leaving a 2 cm border and fold the edge inwards to form a rim.
- Brush the pastry with the yolk and bake at 190°C (375°F) in a conventional oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and set. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Helpful tips
Always roast the pumpkin instead of boiling it: it is the only way to avoid a watery filling.
Dense, sweet varieties such as delica or kabocha work best because their flesh is drier.
A few cubes of smoked provola in the filling create a very pleasant contrast with the sweetness of the pumpkin.
It keeps for two days in the fridge and reheats in the oven to bring the pastry back to life.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 28.0 g
- Sugars
- 5.0 g
- Protein
- 13.0 g
- Fat
- 22.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 10.0 g
- Fiber
- 3.0 g
- Sodium
- 450 mg
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