Pumpkin and feta pie with olive-oil pastry

Name: Pumpkin and feta pie with olive-oil pastry
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 500g plain flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 60ml extra virgin olive oil; 250ml cold water

Karen Martini

June 25, 2020

Pumpkin and feta pie with olive-oil pastry.Marina Oliphant

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6-8

Pumpkins are such a symbol of autumn, but they store so well you can eat local pumpkin almost all year round.

Ingredients

Short olive-oil pastry

500g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
60ml extra virgin olive oil
250ml cold water

Pie

1.5kg kent pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut in 2cm dice
Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Knob of butter
2 leeks, white part only, finely sliced
5 eggs
120g grana padano parmesan, grated
200g feta
4 gratings nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Handful walnuts, toasted and roughly broken

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 165 degrees fan-forced, 185 degrees conventional.
Step 2
To make the pastry, whiz the flour and salt in a food processor. Drizzle in the oil, then add 250ml of cold water while processing until a ball forms.
Step 3
Tip onto a floured surface and knead briefly until you have a smooth ball. Rest in the fridge for an hour, wrapped in cling film.
Step 4
Season the pumpkin with salt and pepper, toss in oil and roast until well cooked and the flesh has dried out and concentrated, about 30-40 minutes — the pumpkin should not colour too much. Leave to cool.
Step 5
While the pumpkin cooks, melt the butter in a small pan and sweat the leeks until softened.
Step 6
In a food processor, add half the pumpkin, four of the eggs, the parmesan, half the feta, the nutmeg and cinnamon. Puree until smooth. Season if necessary.
Step 7
Raise oven temperature to 170 degrees fan-forced, 190 degrees conventional.
Step 8
Grease a 30cm pie dish and line the base with baking paper. Roll out the whole round of pastry into a large even circle, allowing enough so that the edges can be folded over to form a lid (this doesn't need to cover the whole of the filling, but allow some to fold on top). Lay into the dish.
Step 9
Pour in the pumpkin puree and distribute evenly. Press the remaining pumpkin pieces into the puree, then spread over the leeks, sprinkle over the remaining feta and scatter the walnuts on top. Pull the edges of the pastry in to form a lid, working around the pie, pleating the pastry to form a petal-like pattern, leaving a hole in the centre of the pie. Beat the remaining egg and glaze the pastry.
Step 10
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool.
Drink Viognier