Savoury pumpkin pie and salad - could this be the perfect springtime lunch dish?

Recipes Rosa Matto | Styling Natalie Homan | Photograph Brendan Homan

Ricotta, pumpkin & pear pie 
serves 8

ricotta and parmesan pastry
180g plain, wholemeal flour
110g unsalted butter, cut into small dice at room temperature
150g well-drained ricotta
2 tbsp (heaped) grated parmesan
salt

Mix flour, butter, ricotta, parmesan and salt by pulsing in a food processor. Tip out onto a lightly floured bench and knead until smooth. Roll out to a disc, wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.

filling
400g pumpkin, peeled and cut into small dice, roast the seeds for garnish
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
20 sage leaves, chopped plus extra for garnish
20 parsley leaves, chopped
60g toasted walnuts, plus 30g for garnish
1 pear, peeled and cut into small dice
100g ricotta, well drained
50g freshly grated parmesan
salt and coarsely milled pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
pumpkin seeds
radicchio

Sprinkle the pumpkin with 2 tbsp oil and cook at 180C until soft. Heat the rest of the oil in a large frypan. Saute onion and carrot until lightly caramelised, add the garlic, herbs, walnuts, pear and ginger. Cook briefly together. Remove from the heat and add the cooked pumpkin, ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper. Season well and taste. Allow to cool completely, then mix through the eggs.

To assemble, on a lightly floured bench, roll the pastry out to a 30cm circle. Put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Tip the filling onto the dough circle, leaving a 5cm border all around. Fold border over filling to create an edge. Bake at 180 for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden.

To serve, deep fry the extra sage leaves and scatter over the pie with the pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Serve with a radicchio salad drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. 

This recipe first appeared in the August 2022 issue of SALIFE magazine.