This pumpkin flan is essentially a pudding: a pumpkin and parmesan pudding, to which I added two tablespoons of ricotta. Soft and creamy like a crème caramel, it is cooked in the same way, and I paired it with a cocoa and hazelnut cream. Indeed, the bitter and bold flavor of the cocoa contrasts well with the sweetness of the pumpkin, and the hazelnuts add flavor and creaminess. The first slightly blanched broccoli are the perfect side dish for this savory pudding, which can be a main course, a hearty starter, or a vegetarian intermediate dish.
Additionally, pumpkin and parmesan pudding is a versatile preparation, suitable for many combinations depending on the season and the dishes we want to pair it with. It can be baked in the oven or, as I did, cooked in a pressure cooker to halve the cooking times and energy consumption.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 generous
- Cooking methods: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
What you need for the pumpkin and parmesan pudding
This pudding is made with sheep ricotta, which we can replace with goat ricotta, to add flavor and make it lighter, or on the contrary, with fresh cream for whipping.
- 1.1 lbs pumpkin (already cleaned)
- 1 leek (medium, thinly sliced)
- 1.8 oz grated parmesan
- 3.5 oz sheep ricotta
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.8 oz whole hazelnuts (toasted)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.7 oz water (ice-cold.)
This cocoa and hazelnut sauce is a water-based cream, and you can make it much more fluid by adding a sip more. If you like it creamy, remember that if any is left over, you can add a teaspoon of sugar or honey to obtain a spreadable cream. If, like me, you are careful with sugars, a teaspoon of erythritol will be just fine.
What tools do you need for this recipe?
An immersion blender would be very useful for blending all the ingredients together. And for cooking, I recommend the pressure cooker. If you need to buy one, check out my review to help guide your choice.
SPECIAL: check out the guide to the best immersion blenders and minipimers
These are my shopping recommendations:
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Pressure Cooker
How to prepare pumpkin and parmesan pudding
The steps to this preparation are very simple: let’s see them one by one.
Place the finely chopped pumpkin and leek in a pan, and stew the vegetables with a tablespoon of oil, two tablespoons of water, and a pinch of salt. Let them cook slowly until they are soft but fairly dry. Then, transfer them to a bowl and blend thoroughly, adding ricotta and parmesan. Finally, add the eggs, mixing quickly. The mixture for the pudding is ready. We can pour it into a mold and cook it in a bain-marie. You can choose a large mold or many small portions. For this purpose, old-fashioned small glass jars with rubber seals that close hermetically work perfectly. I did both.
When cooking the puddings in a pressure cooker, two things are important: little water and a towel at the bottom of the pot. The water, boiling, should not wet the pudding, so it should not exceed half the height of the mold, which I recommend sealing well with heat-resistant plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The small airtight jars will protect themselves as they are well closed. The towel, on the other hand, insulates the pudding from the bottom of the pot.
The pumpkin and parmesan pudding cooks for 25 minutes from the start of the hissing sound. It is eaten warm, with a good accompanying sauce.
The sauce will be ready in a moment, blending hazelnuts with a tablespoon of oil and two of cocoa. Then we will add fresh water until we achieve a pleasant consistency.
This cocoa and hazelnut cream is not the only possible accompaniment. Alternatively, I suggest a hot anchovy sauce, obtained by simply melting a few anchovy filets in olive oil in a pan. Additionally, the pudding will also be excellent with a cheese fondue, such as gorgonzola. Finally, both Genoese pesto and walnut sauce will be perfect to accompany the sweet flavor of the pumpkin.
⁕ The recipe for Genoese pesto
⁕ Walnut sauce from the Ligurian RivieraRead also:
⁕ Autumn pumpkin-based dinner – Easy and delicious ideas
⁕ Homemade Crème Caramel: classic recipe and cooking methods
⁕ Cooking with a pressure cooker
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