Savory pumpkin pie

October. The first pumpkins arrive on the market, and they are really welcome!
They have the same wonderful colours of the Autumn leaves and bring col or to the dishes as well.
So many ways to cook pumpkins, this is just one of them.
This recipe is from the Northern part of Italy and was made with the simple ingredients the peasants had in theirs farms during the long, foggy winters...

Ingredients for 6 

1,2 kg (800 gr) pumpkin
60 g grated Grana padano o Parmigiano Reggiano (original...)
60 g bread crumbs
    and some more for the mould
2 table spoons flour
1 egg
1 onion
nutmeg
50 gr butter
   and some to grease the mould (if you are not using silicone)
2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

6/10 Walnut kernels (if you like as a decoration)

How to

1)  Wash and cut the pumpkin, take off the seeds and cut the skin. Make thick slices or pieces

2) Cook the pumpkin in the oven (40 minutes 180°) or in the microwave until soft.

3) In the meanwhile, clean and cut the onion into slices.

4) Warm up the butter and the olive oil and over the medium heat cook the onions until they become soft.

5) In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs, the cheese, the flour, a pinch of salt, some pepper.

6) When the pumpkin is ready, squeeze it through a sieve in to bowl. (You can process it in your mixed if you do not have this tool). Stir the pumpkin in and add the egg. Add a small pinch of nut meg.







7) Warm up you oven 150° C /310°F

8) Drain the oil and butter from the onions, which you are not using in this recipe, and pout them in the bowl. Stir in well. taste the dough and adjust salt.

9) Grease a 18 cm. (approx 7 inches) mould with butter and cover the butter with breadcrums (not necessary if you are using a silicone mould)

10) Put the dough in the moulds and bake for 35/40 minutes.

11) Serve warm.

 

Tip: Of course you can make it into little portions. It does not grow, so you can fill up your moulds up to the top.