We have been having fun with Pasties ever since our trip to the UK in 2019. We’ve made vegetarian versions, bbq versions, and even one rendition using duck giblets! This time, we wanted to make one to embrace fall flavours, so we decided to use a pumpkin we had just bought and mix it with some sauteed spinach and a delicious Welsh style cheddar that we bought from Landaff Creamery in New Hampshire.
Once we decided upon our filling, we had to pick how we wanted to cook those ingredients so that they wouldn’t cause a soggy dough (nobody likes soggy dough). With that goal in mind, we decided to cook our pumpkin with a dry heat…roasting in the oven! We also decided to bake our pasties instead of frying them because it just felt a little healthier, and that’s what we were in the mood for! In the end, we dined on a little pocket of joy that nicely blended salty, sweet, and earthy flavours into a flaky crispy crust.
We served our pasties with a side of sauteed peas, but they would also go nicely with Broiled Tomatoes or a side salad!
Time: 60 Minutes (+45 if using fresh pumpkin)
Ingredients:
- Short Crust Pastry Dough. Check out our Recipe Here.
- Pumpkin (Canned or Fresh)
- Spinach
- Cheddar
- Black Pepper
- Salt
Method:
- If starting with fresh pumpkin, begin by cutting it into wedges. Check our “How to Work with Whole Pumpkin” post for more on that process.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with some foil, and give it a quick oil spray.
- Place your wedges atop your foil, give them a quick salt and pepper sprinkle, and an oil spray on top, and then toss into the oven. Roast for about 45 minutes (by which point, the flesh should have softened).
- When your pumpkin is roasted, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Leave the oven on, as you’ll need it shortly.
- Sautee your spinach, and cut your cheddar.
- Use a spoon to peel your pumpkin flesh away from the skin. Put the flesh into a bowl, and mash it with a fork.
- Stir your cheese and spinach into your pumpkin mash.
- Put a new piece of foil on your baking pan, and give that a quick oil spray.
- Lightly flour a large clean cooking surface, remove your pastry dough from the fridge, and cut it into your desired number of pieces.
- Working one at a time, roll your dough out into a large circle, and stuff with your pumpkin mixture. Fold it over onto itself to form a stuffed semicircle. Crimp the edge, and transfer to your baking sheet. Do this until all of your pasties are formed.
- Cut little ventilation/steam escape holes into the tops of your pasties.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F until your pasty dough turns a golden brown.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
