This vegetarian Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Tart is a real treat. It is so tasty, the gorgonzola really brings out the flavours of the pumpkin, and vice-versa. Whether it be Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner the Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Tart will fit seamlessly onto your table and into the bellies of those sat around it, no matter how fussy they are!

What is gorgonzola cheese? “Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese that originated in Italy. It’s named after the town of Gorgonzola near Milan, where it was first produced centuries ago. The cheese is typically pale white to straw-colored with characteristic blue-green veins. These veins are produced by mold spores and give the cheese its distinctive appearance and flavor.

There are two main types of Gorgonzola – Dolce (sweet) and Piccante (spicy). Gorgonzola Dolce is a younger, softer cheese with a sweet, creamy, and slightly pungent taste. On the other hand, Gorgonzola Piccante is an older, firmer cheese with a more intense, sharp flavor”. [1] For this recipe, we used Gorgonzola Dolce, a nice soft cheese. It’s tempting to eat all the cheese before it even gets into the tart, so best to prepare this recipe on a full stomach!

You may be tempted to only prepare this Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Tart recipe in the autumn, when the pumpkins or squash are in season; that would be a mistake. This tart is too good to only eat in the autumn. Replace the pumpkin with sweet potato and this tart suddenly becomes accessible year round! Add the cheese, leek, eggs, mushrooms and herbs and you’ve got a nutritious powerhouse on the table. Pair this with our Three Bean Salad for a perfectly balanced and tasty meal that will fill you up without feeling heavy in your stomach.

The Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Tart is easy to put together, and if you, like me, look for any excuse to perfect your pastry this recipe is a winner all round; not only will you get to practise your pastry making, but you will also have a scrumptious and filling tart that is suitable for all tastes, any occasion and travels well in a lunch box or picnic basket.

For the shortcut pastry click here

Pumpkin & Gorgonzola Cheese Tart

Dawn & Allan

A great tart for lunch, dinner and the lunchbox

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 35

SHORTCRUST PASTRY + RESTING TIME 40

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunchbox, Main Course, Picnic

Cuisine American, Australian, British, Continental, International

Servings 6

Equipment

Electronic digital scales
23 cm round loose bottom tart tin 9.5 inches
Baking Beads

Ingredients

For the tart

150 grams Fresh, uncooked pumpkin {Note 1} [a generous ½ cup] 80 grams cut into 3-5cm [1-2 inches] dice about 1/2 cm [1/4 inch] thick. 70 grams cut into curved slices, about 7-8 cm long [3 inches] and about 1/2 cm [1/4 inch] thick
50 grams Leek, cut into fine rings 5 cm [2 inches] of the white part of the Leek
1 knob Butter 45 grams [ 1 1/2 ounces]
2 Large Mushrooms, sliced 100 grams [ 3 1/2 ounces ]
50 grams Cream Cheese, nice and soft [1 3/4 ounce]
90 grams Gorgonzola cheese, nice and soft [ 3 1/4 ounce]
4 Large Eggs
1 Large Clove of garlic, minced 8 grams - just under 2 teaspoons
¼ teaspoon Dried Sage to taste
¾-1 teaspoon Fresh, minced tarragon to taste
½ teaspoon Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon White pepper to taste

Instructions

For the shortcrust pastry
Gather and weigh your ingredients. Set the oven temperature to 190C [375 F] when you take the dough out of the fridge
Follow the instructions, then roll out and place in the tart tin and trim the top of the pastry dough to about 3 cm [about an inch and a quarter] height if you are using a deep baking tin.
Prick the bottom of the pastry case. Cut a round piece of baking parchment and place in bottom and add the baking beads. Blind bake for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and put on a cooling rack [leave the oven on 190c] Remove the baking beads and the parchment when the tin is cool enough to handle and pop the tart case back in the oven for about 3-5 minutes to ensure you do not get the dreaded "soggy bottom"

For the tart

Put the soft cheeses into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, steam the pumpkin for about 4-6 minutes until just soft [if you are using sweet potato this may take a few minutes longer], but still retaining its shape- you don't want this mushy- and refresh.
Sweat the butter, leeks, mushroom and garlic until the leeks are just transparent and the mushrooms have let go of their liquid- about 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside [drain if the mushrooms have left a lot of liquid]
Whisk the cheeses together until fully blended, then add the eggs, salt, pepper and herbs and whisk through.
Spoon the leek and mushroom mixture onto the bottom of the pastry case, along with the steamed diced pumpkin. Pour the egg mixture over and arrange the pumpkin slices on top.
Put some aluminium foil over the top and pop into the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil, and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden and it is cooked through in the centre [when the knife inserted is clean and there is no liquid on the top]
Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

Note 1. You can replace the fresh pumpkin, with fresh sweet potato.

Pumpkin And Gorgonzola Cheese Tart