As autumn sets in and the air turns crisp, pumpkins become a seasonal staple, often in abundance during Halloween. But rather than letting them go to waste after the festivities, why not transform these vegetables into a delicious dish?
This pumpkin and sage tart celebrates the comforting, earthy flavours of autumn, combining the natural sweetness of roasted pumpkin with the aromatic warmth of fresh sage. It’s a perfect light lunch, especially when paired with a simple salad, offering a satisfying and sustainable way to enjoy the season’s bounty.
Level: Intermediate
Ingredients (makes 1 tart)
- 1 roll shortcrust pastry
- 1 small-to-medium pumpkin
- Approx. 2tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 200 ml double cream
- 200 ml creme fraiche
- Handful of grated cheese
- Handful of fresh sage, chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
- Line a tart dish with the shortcrust pastry. Place a sheet of baking paper in the base, on top of the pastry, then cover the sheet with baking beans. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes with the baking beans, then a further five minutes without.
- While the pastry is baking, carefully slice open the pumpkin and remove the pulp and seeds (pop them into your compost!). Dice the pumpkin into cubes no bigger than around 3/4 inch on any one side, removing the hard skin. Pour the pumpkin into a mixing bowl, followed by the oil, then season with salt and pepper, and mix together so that the pumpkin is well seasoned.
- Pour the pumpkin into a baking dish, and bake for 45 minutes.
- Mix together the eggs, double cream, creme fraiche, grated cheese and sage.
- Once the pumpkin has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pour it into the pastry, followed by the creamy filling. With any spare pastry, create some leaf shapes to place in the centre of the tart.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bake the tart for 25 minutes.
