Pumpkin Quiche Encore

Last year I made a pumpkin quiche that was delicious and had very sharp flavors. I wanted to try a softer version, so I traded the thyme for sage and the Parmesan cheese for goat cheese. I love this version, too, maybe even more. Paired with roasted asparagus it makes a for a very nice summer bistro meal which can be eaten warm (as opposed to piping hot).

I loved the crust from the Belgian leek tart so much, I used it here. You can, of course, use a store-bought crust but this crust is incredibly easy to whiz up in the food processor and the improvement in flavor and texture is actually quite astounding. It really is worth the effort.

Pumpkin Quiche (makes one 9” quiche)

Crust

• 4 tbsp. ice water
• ¾ tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta, diced
• 10-12 sage leaves, chopped
• 2 eggs plus 2 extra egg yolks
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin purée
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°. To make the crust, combine 4 tbsp. ice water and cider vinegar in a small bowl. Blend flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture, processing until moist clumps form. If dough seems dry, add more ice water by the teaspoon. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (can be made 3 days ahead). Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
2. Spray a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom or pie pan with cooking spray. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to the tart pan; fold in the overhang and press to extend the dough ½ inch above the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 30 minutes (this will prevent the crust from shrinking). Remove the crust from the freezer, line the pan with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is set, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake another 20-25 minutes until the crust is pale golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Add the pancetta and sauté until crisp, 5 minutes. Add the sage and cook until crisp, another 1-2 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, and cream together and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the warm crust. Sprinkle the pancetta and sage on top. Ladle the egg mixture into the pastry. Bake until nicely browned, about 30 minutes.