HARVEST TART WITH PUMPKIN AND PEPPERS

Harvest Tart With Pumpkin and Peppers image

A savory, olive oil-crusted tart stuffed full of golden, roasted peppers, jammy onions and some freshly grated pumpkin is a great dinner party treat, although it's perfectly wonderful for a family evening repast as well. Salt the pumpkin ahead of time to draw out excess moisture, though if you are pressed for time you can skip this step. To perk up the caramelized intensity of the filling, it is helpful to fold in something zingy like olive or capers, or perhaps a good splash of lemon juice.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories pies and tarts, main course

Time 2h30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pumpkin, preferably cheese pumpkin, or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and coarsely grated
2 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives (kalamatas are good)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Steps:

At least 2 hours or the night before baking, toss the pumpkin with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a colander set over a bowl. Place a heavy weight on top, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Discard any liquid in bottom of bowl.
To make the pastry, in a large bowl combine 4 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. With pastry cutter or fork, mix in 3/4 cup oil until it forms coarse crumbs. Add about 2/3 cup very cold water, a few tablespoons at a time, until mixture just comes together. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to use more water to achieve the right texture. The dough should be stretchier than a pie crust. Form into a ball, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the peppers and onion with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread on 2 large baking sheets in one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized and golden, about 40 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, pepper-onion mixture, olives, thyme, paprika, black pepper and garlic.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Roll out dough into a 17-by-12-inch rectangle. With long side facing you, spread vegetable mixture evenly over right half of dough. Dab edges of dough with water. Fold left half over filling and pinch edges firmly to seal. Using knife, cut a slit in center of crust, pulling back edges slightly to form a 2 1/2-inch hole.
Transfer crust to baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until vegetables are fork tender and crust is well browned, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 382, UnsaturatedFat 28 grams, Carbohydrate 22 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 605 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams