Pumpkin Quiche with Pancetta, Parmesan, and Thyme

Pumpkin again! This time I thought I would make a quiche with pumpkin, pancetta, Parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme. Not only did it work really well – the pumpkin helps give it a velvety custard consistency – the flavors were intense. This is a fairly strong dish; one small slice with a light salad on the side makes for a very satisfying meal.

The pumpkin works well with the strong flavors but I would like to make this again to try a more subtle version for comparison. My thought is to mellow the sharpness by replacing the Parmesan cheese with sweeter, creamier goat cheese and to perhaps eliminate the thyme altogether.

Pumpkin Quiche (makes one 9” quiche)

• Pie crust
• 1 tsp. olive oil plus extra to grease pan
• 4 oz. pancetta, chopped
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
• 1 ½ cups light cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme
  Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Brush a quiche or pie pan with olive oil. Roll the pie crust until it is 12” across. Put the pastry it in a the pan. Press some foil into the middle so it won’t puff. Bake for 10 minutes. Discard the foil.
2. Heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
3. Turn the oven down to 375°. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, and cream together. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pancetta, thyme, and black pepper. Ladle the egg mixture into the pastry. Bake until nicely browned, about 30 minutes.