Eat: Pumpkin, Prosciutto and Thyme Tart -

We love this savoury pumpkin tart to serve during the festive season, the creamy sweet pumpkin filling, crisp golden pastry and salty prosciutto are the perfect combination. Of course, it isn’t just delicious to cook during the holidays, it is also a perfect all-year-round dinner idea, just add some fresh steamed greens or a crisp salad on the side and you have a simple dinner that the whole family will love.

Ingredients

2 cups of pumpkin, chopped in to 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 sheets of shortcut pastry, store bought or homemade

300ml of thickened cream

1 teaspoon of thyme leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

Cracked black pepper

Extra fresh thyme leaves, to serve*

*Our thyme in the ele kitchen garden is flowering at the moment which is a pretty addition to this recipe however normal thyme sprigs will work just as well

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C (350F). Place diced pumpkin in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, roast in oven for 35- 40 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked through and golden.

Line a 30cm x 20cm rectangle tart tin with with baking paper. Lay the pastry on top pressing it in to the edges of the tart tin and pressing to join where the two sheets meet. Trim edges.

Prick the base of the tart tin with a fork. Add pastry weights and blind bake the pastry case in oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Using a fork, mash pumpkin until it is smooth. In a large bowl combine cream, mashed pumpkin, eggs, thyme, salt and Parmesan cheese and stir well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Pour pumpkin mix in to the tart shell.

Twist prosciutto strips and place on top of the tart, at one end. You can cover the entire tart with prosciutto however if you have family or friends that don’t eat meat this is a great way to make only one dish that everyone can enjoy.

Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes until the tart is set and the pastry edges are golden. Remove from oven and allow to stand for about ten minutes. Serve scattered with fresh thyme leaves and a crack of black pepper. Enjoy!