Rustic Pumpkin, Ricotta and Caramelised Onion Tart
Get into the spirit of harvest and Halloween with this tasty pumpkin recipe from 'The Cook and Baker'

The delicious partnership of roasted pumpkin, ricotta and caramelised onion makes this a great tart. It will only take moments to assemble once you have made the pizza dough and filling.
Serves 8
Makes one 30cm (12-inch) tart
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus cooling time
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
750g (1 lb 10oz/5 cups) seeded, peeled and chopped into 3cm (1ยผ inch) pieces uncooked pumpkin olive oil, to coat and drizzle
250g (9oz/6ยผ cups) English spinach
1kg (2 lb 4oz/41โ3 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
25g (1oz/ยผ cup) grated parmesan
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
125g (4ยฝ oz/ยฝ cup) caramelised onion
1 quantity pizza dough
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC (350ยฐF). Line a baking tin with baking paper. Toss in the pumpkin cubes with enough oil to lightly coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
2. Sautรฉ the spinach in a frying pan over high heat for 1โ2 minutes until wilted, leave to cool, then use your hands to squeeze dry.
3. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs and salt and pepper. Fold through the pumpkin, spinach and caramelised onions.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to 40cm (16 inches) round and 5 mm (ยผ inch) thick. Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared tray. Spread the ricotta mix over the pizza dough leaving a 5 cm (2 inch) border. Gather the edge of the dough and drape back over the filling to create a ruffled look.
5. Bake for 40โ45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
This is delicious served hot or at room temperature.
CARAMELISED ONION
Makes about 500g (1 lb 2oz/2 cups)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large red or brown onions, thinly sliced
ยผ tsp salt
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over low heat. Add the onions and salt and cook for 15โ20 minutes until softened. Stir frequently to prevent them from browning. When the onion is cooked and lightly golden, stir in the sugar and vinegar.
2. Continue to cook over low heat for a further 5โ10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sticky and caramelised.
Pizza Dough
Makes about 1.2kg (2 lb 10 oz)
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes proving time for dough
Ingredients:
750g (1 lb 10 oz/5 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
40g (1ยฝ oz) dried yeast
ยผ tsp caster (superfine) sugar
ยผ tsp salt
400ml (14 fl oz) tepid water
2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
1. Place the flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the tepid water and oil and mix on low speed until combined. Knead the dough at this speed for approximately 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, approximately 30 minutes.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 30 seconds until the dough is its original size. Shape the dough into a ball, and press lightly to flatten.
The Cook and Baker by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa (Murdoch Books, ยฃ20). Photography by Chris Chen