Ingredients

• • 1 x 320g sheet all-butter shortcrust pastry, blind-baked in a 23cm tart tin
  • 600g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp LittlePod Vanilla Paste
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150ml double cream
  • 100ml whole milk
  • 100g crumbled soft goat’s cheese, plus extra for finishing
  • 1 small bunch sage leaves
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Roast the pumpkin on a tray with half the butter, salt and pepper for 25–30 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan and fry half the sage leaves until crisp; set aside for garnish. Finely chop the remaining sage.
3. Blitz the roasted pumpkin with the LittlePod Vanilla Paste and browned butter from the pan until smooth – it should taste rounded and slightly sweet, not sharp.
4. Whisk the eggs, cream and milk together, then fold in the pumpkin puree, chopped sage and a good grating of nutmeg. Season well – the goat’s cheese will add salt, but the base needs seasoning too.
5. Scatter the crumbled goat’s cheese into the blind-baked pastry case, pour over the pumpkin custard, and bake at 170°C (150°C fan) for 25–30 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the centre.
6. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Finish with the crispy sage leaves and a little extra goat’s cheese.