Pumpkin Leek and Sausage Tart

As a huge fan of savory tarts, this recipe caught my attention when I first read the cookbook, Eataly. I thought it would be a fantastic choice for an autumn luncheon, complete with a green salad.

Eataly, the cookbook, is not what I originally expected it to be. I presumed that it would be a compilation of recipes by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali, the original, primary owners of Eataly, along with Lidia’s son Joe. (Of course now Batali is out.)

In fact, it’s not only not written by them, their names are nowhere in the cookbook. No authors are listed. Some recipes are associated with chefs, but that’s it.

So what is Eataly, the cookbook? The foreword is written by Oscar Farinetti, who had the original concept of Eataly, which first opened in Milan, Italy, in 2004. Here’s some of what he writes. “Italian cuisine was born as home cooking, therefore replicable and linked to territory, and has created a rich tradition of recipes, unique in the world.”

This quote was the only one I really understood; this man is quite philosophical in his worldly, culinary outlook. Or maybe it was the translation from Italian. The book is hefty, considered the handbook of contemporary Italian cuisine. There’s obviously a respect for traditional, authentic Italian cuisine, but there’s also updating for the more modern cook and eater.

I’m okay with this. Often, seriously traditional dishes aren’t my favorites. In the “old” days, a gourmet approach was not taken with cooking. It was more of live or die approach with food. So people prepared what grew and what was available.

In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with traditional recipes, nor with gourmetified recipes! I love them all! I adapted this recipe slightly, but the original is in printable form below. I felt it needed some improvements.

Pumpkin, Leek, and Sausage Tart
by Chef Fabio Nitti

2 – 15 ounce cans organic pumpkin
1 egg, whisked
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt
Pepper
12 ounces sliced leeks
2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil
16 ounces sausage meat, crumbled
Salt, pepper
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
Salt, pepper
Pie crust dough for a deep-dish tart, chilled
Approximately 3 ounces grated Parmesan

Place the pumpkin puree on cheesecloth in a colander, and cover with a bowl over night. This will insure that extra liquid is extruded and puree is not too liquid for this tart. After this step, place the strained pumpkin in a bowl. Add an egg, the thyme, salt, and pepper, and stir together well. Set aside.

After slicing the leeks, put them in a large bowl of cold water to get any silt or sand out of them. Let them dry on a kitchen towel before progressing to the next step.

Heat the garlic oil in a pan, add the leeks, and cook them over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and turning, until it is just cooked through. Let cool.

Make the savory custard by placing the cream, egg and egg yolk, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 1/2″ deep dish pie dish with butter. Roll out the pie crust dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch and use it to line the prepared pie dish.

Arrange the pumpkin and sausage meat in alternating layers in the pastry shell.

Pour over the savory custard, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 degrees and bake 10 minutes more.

The tart itself isn’t terribly beautiful, but it slices well and is very tasty.

I served the tart with a green salad with a basil and parsley dressing, and it was delicious together. My pie crust collapsed, but I hadn’t give it enough attention, which is my fault. With more care, this tart would be prettier and perfect for company.