Pumpkin, Leek, and Sausage tart

Pumpkin, Leek, and Sausage tart

Black matte EVA platter. Available on our webshop or at www.etsy.com/shop/MaiaMingDesigns

Another new recipe from my delightful EATALY cookbook. It's so very Italian to include what Mario Batali calls the "tri-lipid" combination that includes vegetable fat (olive oil), dairy fat (Parmesan cheese) and animal fat (sausage). I have mocked this in the past, but our bodies need fat, and as long as you don't overdo it (everything in moderation!), the tri-lipid combination can be very satisfying.

Although the pumpkin and leeks give this dish a vegetable emphasis, the tart is a rich and hearty mingling of interesting flavors. I confess that I didn't make my own pie dough, because I find the ready made ones to be so much simpler. Maybe I'll graduate to making my own pie crust someday... So I'll provide you with Eataly's recipe for the dough, and you can decide whether to be a purist or to take the easy route and use a pre-made crust like I did. I also made my tart a wider and thinner tart than the photo in the book which was quite deep, I think that is a personal preference, just like people who like thin pizza vs. deep dish pizza; both are tasty but a matter of personal preference.

Pie dough:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

1 stick softened butter

For the filling:

600 g. pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons thyme

1/3 cup marjoram or oregano

2 leeks, sliced horizontally

2 sausages, removed from skins with meat crumbled

salt and pepper

For the custard:

1 egg

1/3 cup cream

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

First make the pie dough. Sift the flour into a mound on the countertop, make a well in the center, and put the salt, egg yolk, and butter inside. Using your fingertips, mix these ingredients into the flour, gradually adding 3 1/2 tablespoons of cold water, a little at a time, until you have a smooth and homogeneous dough. Shake the pie dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325° F (165° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little oil, and sprinkle with marjoram and thyme, retaining some of the leaves to garnish the cooked tart. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until soft. Transfer the pumpkin to a colander and drain any excess moisture.

Heat a little oil in a pan, add the leeks, and cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and turning, for a few minutes until it is cooked though. Let cool.

Make the savory custard. Blend all the ingredients together well.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease a pie dish with butter.
The Eataly cookbook says to use a 9 1/2 inch pie dish, but I used a wider dish and made a less deep and more pizza-like tart.

Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line the prepared pie dish. Arrange the pumpkin and sausage mixture evenly in the pastry shell. Pour over the savory custard and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

#lifestyleceramics #beautytexturewhimsy #simplepleasures #maiamingdesigns

 
 
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