Rustic Savory Pumpkin Tart
This rustic savory pumpkin tart is made with tender pumpkin, potatoes, pancetta, and plenty of cheese baked in a flaky pastry crust. A delicious fall recipe perfect for lunch, dinner, or a holiday appetizer!
If you love savory tarts, be sure to try my vegetable tart or these delicious ricotta spinach tarts.
Recipe Overview: Savory Pumpkin Tart
Hearty and flavorful: Earthy pumpkin, potatoes, pancetta, fresh herbs, and melted cheese wrapped in a flaky pastry crust.
Seasonal favorite: A delicious way to use fresh pumpkin, butternut squash, or kabocha squash during the fall and winter months.
Easy to make: Use homemade or store-bought pastry dough to keep preparation simple.
Versatile: Perfect as an appetizer, lunch, or light dinner, served warm or at room temperature.
Fall is the perfect time to make this rustic savory pumpkin tart with fresh seasonal pumpkin or winter squash. While pumpkin is often used in sweet recipes, it’s just as delicious in savory dishes like my pumpkin hand pies, especially when paired with herbs and cheese.
I love how simple ingredients come together in a savory tart. If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like my Italian savory rustic pie or this tomato, cheese and potato pie.
Ingredient Notes
- Pastry dough: Use homemade or store-bought pastry dough. My savory pie crust is a great option.
- Pumpkin: Sugar pumpkin works well, but butternut or kabocha squash are delicious alternatives. Peel and cut into small, even pieces for quicker cooking.
- Potatoes: Choose a potato that holds its shape during cooking, such as Yukon Gold.
- Onion: A small onion or shallot adds a mild, sweet flavor to the filling as it cooks. Use whichever you prefer.
- Eggs: Help bind the vegetables and cheese together so the tart holds its shape when sliced.
- Pancetta: Adds a delicious salty, savory flavor to the filling. Bacon can be substituted if preferred.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary and thyme pair beautifully with pumpkin and squash. Fresh herbs give the best flavor.
- Cheese: Freshly grated Parmigiano adds flavor to the filling, while fontina or Gruyère melts beautifully over the top.
- Milk: Just a tablespoon or two brushed over the pastry edges before baking helps give the crust a golden finish. Whole milk or 2% milk will work.
How to Make a Rustic Savory Pumpkin Tart
Start by rolling out your pastry dough and fitting it into the prepared tart pan, leaving enough dough hanging over the edges to fold over the filling later.
In a large skillet, sauté the onion in olive oil until it starts to soften. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, and seasonings. Cook until the vegetables are tender, adding the pancetta during the last 5 minutes.
Transfer the cooked mixture to a large bowl and gently stir in the eggs and freshly grated Parmigiano. You want everything well combined without breaking up the tender vegetables.
Spoon the filling into the pastry, then top with shredded fontina or Gruyère and a little extra Parmigiano. Fold the pastry edges over the filling and brush with milk.
Bake until golden, then let the tart rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This helps the filling set and makes it easier to serve.
recipe tips
- For a firmer crust: Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and prebake for 5 minutes before adding the filling. This helps prevent a soggy bottom.
- Drain excess moisture: After cooking the pumpkin and potatoes, drain off any excess liquid before mixing the filling. Too much moisture can make the pastry soggy.
- Cut vegetables evenly: Dice the pumpkin and potatoes into small, similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly and become tender at the same time.
- Don’t overfill the tart: Leave enough pastry around the edges to fold over the filling without tearing. The rustic look is part of its charm, so it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Savory Pumpkin Tart FAQs
Yes! Butternut squash or kabocha squash both work well in this savory tart. Just peel, remove the seeds, and cut into small, even pieces so they cook evenly with the potatoes.
Absolutely! You can leave out the pancetta or replace it with sautéed mushrooms for a vegetarian version. Mushrooms add a delicious earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with pumpkin. Just cook off any excess moisture before adding them to the filling.
Yes! You can use a rectangular tart pan or make a free-form galette instead. Just leave enough pastry around the edges to fold over the filling, and adjust the baking time as needed until the crust is golden and the filling is set.
Yes! Puff pastry is a delicious alternative that gives the tart a lighter, flakier crust. Keep the pastry chilled until you’re ready to assemble, and bake until golden and cooked through. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
This Rustic Savory Pumpkin Pie is a delicious way to enjoy the flavours of fall. With its flaky, golden crust and flavourful pumpkin filling, it’s a simple yet comforting dish that’s perfect for lunch, a light dinner, or even a holiday gathering. A delicious homemade meal everyone will love. Buon Appetito!
Rustic Savory Pumpkin Tart
Ingredients
- 1 roll pastry (homemade or store bought)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion or shallot finely chopped
- 14 ounces squash (butternut, kabocha or sugar pumpkin)
- 7 ounces potatoes
- 3 ounces pancetta chopped
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary (chopped)
- 1 sprig thyme (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 dashes black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup freshly grated parmigiano
EXTRAS
- 5¼ ounces fontina or gruyere cheese shredded
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350-375F / 180 -190 C. Grease and flour or spray an 8-9 inch / 20-23 cm tart pan.
- Line the prepared pan with the rolled out thawed dough, leaving the extra dough to hang over the edge of the pan. At this point you can blind bake the dough if desired for 5 minutes, prick the dough with a fork first.
- In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped onion, cook 2 minutes, add the chopped squash and potatoes, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Cook for 15 minutes (after 10 minutes add the pancetta) until soft, drain out any excess liquid.
- In a large bowl add the squash mixture, eggs and parmigiano, gently stir to combine.
- Add the filling on top of the dough, top with the shredded cheese and 1-2 tablespoons of parmigiano. Fold the excess dough over the mixture. Brush with 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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