If you love creamy, crunchy, and flavorful bruschetta, these with pumpkin, gorgonzola, and walnuts will become one of your favorite fall recipes.
I often prepare these when I crave a delicious appetizer that’s super quick, perfect for a dinner with friends, a home aperitif, or to enrich a charcuterie board for any occasion!
Discover how to prepare delicious bruschetta with pumpkin, gorgonzola, and walnuts in just a few minutes: toasted bread, soft pan-cooked pumpkin, creamy gorgonzola, and crunchy walnuts.
A simple, quick, and irresistible fall appetizer that we can also enjoy for a quick no-fuss lunch, as the young people say today!
I love making bruschetta or crostini so much that over the years I’ve shared many tasty variations with you!
From bruschetta with anchovies, stracciatella, and turnip tops to those with zucchini pesto. The fresh and light version with ricotta, shrimp, and cherry tomatoes, the richer one with broccoli and sausage, and the tasty one with ricotta and turnip tops.
So today I add to my collection this new recipe, which smells of autumn and wins you over with the contrast between the sweetness of the pumpkin and the creaminess of the gorgonzola.
👉 Be sure to read the recipe to the end: you’ll find variations, useful tips, the most requested questions, and some wine pairing ideas for this dish.
If you’re a pumpkin lover, before starting the preparation, I also leave you these delicious proposals to try!
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Electric oven, Air fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 4 slices rustic bread
- 8.8 oz pumpkin (cleaned)
- 5.3 oz gorgonzola (spicy or mild, lactose-free for the lactose-free version)
- to taste walnut kernels
- salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to cook the pumpkin)
- rosemary
- black pepper
- 1 clove garlic
Tools
- Cutting board
- Pan
- Lid
- Ladle
Steps
The first thing I recommend is to clean the pumpkin! Yes, I know, it’s a bit tedious, but if you use the Hokkaido or Delica pumpkin, you don’t even need to remove the skin because they are edible.
You will only need to wash the skin well under water and then cut the pumpkin first into slices and then into small cubes (so they can comfortably fit on a slice of bread!).
Heat a pan with extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, and a sprig of rosemary.
Add the pumpkin, lightly salt it, cover with the lid, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
The smaller the pumpkin cubes are cut, the faster they will cook, also helped by the steam created inside the pan thanks to the use of the lid.
When it becomes soft, turn off the heat and set aside.
Toast the bread slices in the oven, in a pan, or in an air fryer until they become crispy. It will only take a few minutes.
Spread the gorgonzola on the bread with a knife; the heat of the bread will make it melt.
If you prefer the cheese to remain more visible and perhaps in larger chunks, first cool the bread, otherwise it will inevitably melt!
Add the cooked pumpkin on top and finish with coarsely chopped walnuts. Optionally, a drizzle of oil and a pinch of pepper.
Your pumpkin and gorgonzola bruschetta are ready! Serve immediately… and they will disappear in no time! 😍
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
If you liked this idea, save the recipe and share it with those who love fall bruschetta! 🍁
Try it yourself and let me know in the comments which variant won you over the most 😍👇
I’ll see you in the kitchen! 🥰🍞🎃🧀🥜💛
💡 USEFUL TIPS
For a pumpkin that doesn’t fall apart, use the Delica and Hokkaido varieties (you can cook both with the skin after washing them thoroughly) or the Mantovana.
If you want less intense gorgonzola, choose the mild or mascarpone one.
The ideal bread is rustic, with a crunchy crust and rustic crumb.
Add a pinch of smoked paprika for an even more autumnal flavor, and if you like, a drizzle of honey on top.
Add a pinch of smoked paprika for an even more autumnal flavor, and if you like, a drizzle of honey on top.
✨ VARIANTS
With crispy speck: add strips of speck sautéed in a pan.
Balsamic vinegar: perfect to enhance gorgonzola and walnuts.
Vegetarian version: add sautéed radicchio or sautéed mushrooms.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of pumpkin?
If you want to make similar bruschetta but without pumpkin, you can replace it with ingredients that behave the same way when cooked, meaning soft and easy to flavor.
Potatoes cut into small cubes and browned like pumpkin.
Zucchini, eggplant diced, peppers (more flavorful and colorful), carrots diced (sweet and perfect with gorgonzola and walnuts), sautéed mushrooms, for an alternative autumn version or sautéed radicchio, for a more bitter and gourmet flavor.
The base of bread + cheese + nuts lends itself to a thousand variations!Is this recipe suitable for those who are lactose intolerant?
Yes, with a small modification.
The original version contains gorgonzola, but you can easily use lactose-free Gorgonzola.
Or opt for other cheeses, such as lactose-free spreadable cheese, lactose-free robiola/crescenza.
Also excellent with 36-month aged Parmesan flakes, naturally low in lactose.If I cook the pumpkin in advance, how long does it last in the fridge?
Cooked pumpkin lasts 2–3 days in the fridge, well sealed in an airtight container, and you can also freeze it, lasting up to 3 months.
If you want to use it for bruschetta, quickly sauté it in a pan to refresh its aroma and texture.I’ve cooked too much pumpkin, how can I use it?
Here are super practical ideas to avoid waste:
✔️ 1. Pumpkin cream or soup
Blend it with a drizzle of oil, salt, and a bit of hot water. Perfect to serve with croutons.
✔️ 2. Condiment for pasta or risotto
Add it to a pan and mix it with Parmesan, cream, or a gorgonzola sauce.
✔️ 3. Filling for savory pies
Just add it to ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan.
✔️ 4. Base for pumpkin gnocchi
Mix it with flour and a pinch of nutmeg.
✔️ 5. Quick side dish
Sauté it in a pan with rosemary and a pinch of smoked paprika.
✔️ 6. Alternative bruschetta
Pumpkin + feta
Pumpkin + hummus
Pumpkin + crispy speckCan they be prepared in advance?
Yes, you can cook the pumpkin beforehand and store it in the fridge for 24 hours. Assemble the bruschetta only at the time of serving.
Can they be made in an air fryer?
Of course! Toast the bread for 3–4 minutes at 356°F.
Can I use oven-cooked pumpkin?
Yes, just cut it into small pieces and heat it in a pan with oil and rosemary, or if you prefer, you can also blend it to obtain a delicious spreadable cream for the bread, and top with gorgonzola chunks and walnut kernels.
Can I use another cheese instead of gorgonzola?
Yes! Excellent substitutes are taleggio, brie, robiola, and stracchino.
