I love flans (called sformati in Italian) because they look fancy, taste delicious and are small enough to start a meal without filling everyone up. I recently shared a recipe for this zucchini version, which uses ricotta as the base. This pumpkin flan is much more northern Italian in feeling, with loads of parmigiano and just a touch of nutmeg. The sauce, made from Taleggio, is rich , luscious and a real treat.
If you don’t like the idea of the sweetness of amaretti cookies crumbled on top, you can skip it. But it really does taste good and gives it a nice crunch. It’s also very north Italian.
Also this would obviously make a festive start to any Thanksgiving feast.
Pumpkin Flan
Yield 4
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Ingredients
- 500 grams / 1 pound butternut squash
- 100 gr parmigiano reggiano
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of heavy cream
- freshly grated nutmeg
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Butter
- Flour
- Amaretti cookies
- 250 grams taleggio
- 1 cup heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F
- Peel the butternut squash, and cut four thin slices off the neck end.
- Cut the rest into chunks. You will only need 500 grams/ 1 pound.
- Toss the squash with olive oil, spread on a parchment covered oven tray and season with salt and pepper. Do the same with the four thin slices, making sure to keep them in tact.
- Bake until tender. The chunks should take about 20 minutes. The thin slices will cook much faster. Take them out after about 8 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 180C/350F
- Let the squash cool then place in a food processor with the eggs, parmigiano and cream. Grate in a bit of nutmeg.
- Butter and flour 4 small ramekins.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes until se
Cheese Sauce - This should be made right before serving.
- Cut the cheese into cubes, eliminating the rind. Heat the cream in a small pan. Do not let it boil. Add the cheese and stir, so it melts. Let it cook until it becomes a bit denser. Taste and adjust for salt.
To Serve:
- Remove the flans from the ramekins by gently running a knife around the edge.
- Place a round of squash on a small plate and gently place the flan on top. Spoon some of the cheese sauce on top and then crumble an amaretti cookie on top. Garnish with another cookie.
A real show stopper for guests.
What a wonderful recipe! I prepared it myself and the result was great. From today it becomes one of my 10 favorite dishes! I want to thank the author!