The savory pumpkin, mushroom, and bacon tart is a tasty and flavorful appetizer that can also be served as a main dish or a one-dish meal. The combination of pumpkin and mushrooms, somewhat unusual for me, works wonderfully as the flavors blend together to create an absolutely irresistible savory tart.
Homemade puff pastry is definitely better, although in my opinion, it becomes heavy in savory tarts. I prefer to make them with a shortcrust pastry or a crazy dough, more delicate and with less fat. If I don’t feel like kneading, a ready-made puff pastry sheet solves every problem.
The recipe I’m offering you today is very simple to make. To cook the potatoes and pumpkin, I use the microwave. In just a few minutes, I have well-cooked vegetables that do not lose flavor and retain their shape in the oven. I do not like savory tarts where the ingredients are so cooked and mixed that you cannot tell what they are; I love to see the vegetables and want them to keep their taste.
The savory pumpkin, mushroom, and bacon tart contains no eggs or cream, making it ideal for those intolerant to eggs. If you want to make a gluten-free version, use gluten-free puff pastry.
Here are some other savory tarts to try:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 253.30 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 15.64 (g) of which sugars 2.02 (g)
- Proteins 10.29 (g)
- Fat 17.08 (g) of which saturated 2.29 (g)of which unsaturated 7.21 (g)
- Fibers 1.26 (g)
- Sodium 326.65 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry (round)
- 10.5 oz potatoes (peeled)
- 12.3 oz delica pumpkin (peeled)
- 10.5 oz champignon mushrooms (cleaned)
- 2 shallots (or one small onion)
- 8.8 oz scamorza cheese
- 3.5 oz smoked bacon (diced)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan large
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cake Pan with a diameter of 10 inches
- 1 Pot if you want to boil the potatoes the traditional way
Instructions
Remove the pumpkin skin and cut it into small cubes about 0.6 inches.
Wash the potatoes well to remove any soil residues, peel them, and cut them into 0.8-inch cubes.
Peel and finely chop the shallots (or the onion).
Gently clean the mushrooms, remove the end of the stem, and wipe the cap to ensure they have no soil traces. Slice them into pieces about 0.2 inches thick and set aside.
Cut the scamorza cheese into cubes.
For the cooking of potatoes and pumpkin, I use the microwave. I cut them into small cubes, put them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and cook them for 5/6 minutes in the microwave at maximum power, stirring halfway through. It is a fast and convenient method. I cook the potatoes first, which take a couple of minutes more, then the pumpkin.
If you do not like microwave cooking, you can steam, pressure cook, or boil them in water. Choose your preferred method, ensuring the vegetables remain firm as they will finish cooking in the oven.
Sauté the shallots in the oil in a large pan, add the bacon, and gently brown it, then add the mushrooms and cook for 5/6 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
Add the potatoes and pumpkin cooked in the microwave (or with another method) and let them flavor for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
Add the scamorza cheese, salt, and pepper, and gently mix everything.
Place the puff pastry in the pan (leave the parchment paper underneath so you can remove it without problems) and press it well. Pour in the filling and level it. Fold the edges of the puff pastry inward to create a border.
Bake the savory tart in a preheated static oven at 374°F for 35/40 minutes in the middle part (if you have a ceramic mold, place it in the lowest part of the oven; ceramic is thicker and tends to cook the base less).
To check the cooking, lift the parchment paper and check if the base is golden.
The savory pumpkin, mushroom, and bacon tart is ready. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Tips
Storage
Store savory tarts at room temperature for a day; afterward, it’s best to keep them in the refrigerator and reheat them before serving. You can do this in the microwave or a hot oven.
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