Pumpkin Gateau

Pumpkin gateau is a delicious dish that combines the sweetness of pumpkin with the more rustic flavors of other ingredients. I will present you with a recipe with an Italian twist. Here is the recipe for an Italian-style pumpkin gateau.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of cleaned pumpkin
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 100 g of sweet provola cheese
• 100 g of diced pancetta
• 300 g of potatoes
• 1 egg
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• Butter as needed to grease the baking dish
• Breadcrumbs as needed to dust the baking dish

Preparation

1. Start by peeling the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and cook them in boiling salted water until they are tender.

2. In the meantime, cut the pumpkin into cubes and cook it in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil, adding a little water if necessary. The pumpkin should become soft but not fall apart.

3. Once cooked, mash the potatoes and pumpkin together in a large bowl to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

4. Add the egg to the pumpkin and potato mixture and blend well.

5. Now add the grated Parmesan cheese, the small diced provola, the pancetta, a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix all the ingredients well.

6. Take a baking dish, grease it with butter, and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs.

7. Pour the mixture into the dish, level it with a spatula, and dust the surface with more breadcrumbs.

8. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C for about 30–40 minutes or until the surface becomes golden and crispy.

9. Once baked, let the pumpkin gateau rest for a few minutes before serving.

Trivia

The pumpkin gateau is an autumnal variation of the classic potato gateau, typical of Neapolitan cuisine. The gateau, or “gattò,” has its origins in the melding of Italian and French cuisines during the Bourbon rule in Italy. The term “gattò” actually derives from a corruption of the French word “gâteau,” which means “cake.” With the addition of pumpkin, this dish acquires a sweet-salty flavor much appreciated in autumn and winter.