If you want to win over friends and family with a practical, quick dish that always looks impressive, you must try this baked pumpkin and fennel millefeuille! They’re easy because, once the two main vegetables of this recipe are prepared, both are added raw! Yes, you heard right! You only need to slice them very thinly—otherwise the final result will suffer—and compose three layers directly in the baking dish. Of course each layer should be seasoned with a generous mix of aromatic herbs; use plenty if you like them, but I recommend letting fresh thyme prevail which, I promise, wonderfully enhances the flavors! A few other ingredients including regular flour, or even better pistachio crumbs if you happen to have them in the pantry, create a fully vegetarian-style dish with a crust you’ll lick your lips for! It will be perfect both as a slightly warm side served in squares and as a vegetable main for a lighter meal, just how we like it. In short, do as you prefer—the important thing is to get cooking and bring it straight to the table! You’ll fall in love with it!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs (large or 3 small)
- 1 lb 5 oz (600 g) butternut pumpkin (or delica)
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 9 tbsp breadcrumbs (I recommend the coarser type)
- 3 tbsp pistachio crumbs (generous)
- 3 tbsp pistachio flour
- to taste aromatic herbs (sage, chives, marjoram and dried bay leaves)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- A few sprigs thyme (fresh)
- to taste salt
- to taste pink peppercorns (ground)
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking dish
Steps
Start by washing and trimming the fennel bulbs: remove the green fronds and detach the stalks at the base (you can use them to flavor a soup). Cut each fennel into 4 pieces and then into very thin slices (fig. 1).
Proceed to slice the pumpkin into very thin slices about 1–2 mm thick (approx. 1/32–1/16 in).
Remove the outer skin from each slice and set aside.
You’re now ready to assemble your pumpkin and fennel millefeuille. In a baking dish lined with parchment paper, create a first layer with the fennel slices, taking care not to overlap them.
Salt, pepper, drizzle with 2 tbsp of oil and season with the mix of dried and fresh aromatic herbs, well stripped from their stems.
Finish with 2–3 tbsp of breadcrumbs and two tbsp of grated Parmesan.
Make a second layer, this time with the pumpkin slices, also arranged without overlapping.
Season them exactly the same way as the fennel: salt and pepper, two tbsp of oil, the aromatic herbs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Finally compose a last layer, combining the remaining pumpkin and fennel and season with the remaining seasonings.
Complete by adding plenty of pistachio flour and pistachio crumbs.
Put everything in a preheated oven at 374°F for 30 minutes, then switch the broiler (grill) on and cook for another 5 minutes or until a nice crust has formed.*
Turn off the oven, remove and let cool for a few minutes.
And voilà… your pumpkin and fennel millefeuille gratinated with pistachios is ready to enjoy!
Enjoy from FeFè’s Kitchen!
Storage
👉 You can store the pumpkin and fennel millefeuille in the refrigerator in suitable containers for up to 2–3 days, or freeze it in single portions for up to 3 months.
Tips
🔣 * Cooking times always vary from oven to oven, so I always recommend testing by inserting the tines of a fork before ending the cooking. If they reach the bottom layer, then the millefeuille will be ready to come out of the oven.
🔸 Try the version with roughly chopped almonds or hazelnuts on the surface instead of pistachios. A delight!
