Roasted Pumpkin, Pear, and Arugula Puff Pastry Tarts
I am a huge fan of puff pastry. It’s got so many things going for it…sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner, appetizer, dessert, or main dish. Buttery and rich – there’s just nothing it can’t do. So imagine my delight when the folks at Pepperidge Farm® asked me to create a recipe that would be perfect for the holidays.
My mind went straight away to appetizers, because for me, the holidays are about gatherings, about standing around the table, nibbling on hors d’oeuvres, stuffing my face alongside my aunts and uncles and cousins. We must eat twice our body weight, but everyone knows that food doesn’t count if you don’t put it onto a plate first. Everyone knows this.
These tarts, these Roasted Pumpkin and Arugula Puff Pastry Tarts, are absolutely perfect for that kind of eating.
Pick one up, pop it in your mouth, chew, repeat.
I took the idea for these tarts from my friend Mike, the chef of The Bank Food & Drink, who makes the most incredible Roasted Pumpkin Salad. At first, I was totally against the idea of a salad made of pumpkin. And then I finally tasted it.
Sweet goodness and mercy. I just knew that salad could be made into bite sized perfection.
I was right.
Roasted Pumpkin, Pear, and Arugula Puff Pastry Tarts
makes 24
Ingredients
- Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets
- 1 pie pumpkin
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- pinch red pepper flake
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 ripe pear, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh arugula
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut each Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheet in to 12 squares.
Peel the pumpkin and cut in half, scoop out the insides and discard. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin, maple syrup and red pepper flake and stir occasionally until the pumpkin is well coated and semi soft. Remove from heat.
Place strips of pear followed by some arugula on the pastry squares and then top with some of the prepared pumpkin.
Bake at 400 until the puff pastry has risen and is golden brown. Serve immediately.
There are lots more recipes on the Pepperidge Farm site, and you should definitely take a look! I find so many great ideas there! You can also follow along on Facebook – join the community!
Speaking of community – Sign up for Epicurious for even MORE great entertaining ideas…you won’t be sorry!
I’m always looking for ways to spark new creative ideas with my recipes. I hope you enjoy this recipe and don’t forget to check out more recipes at www.puffpastry.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry. The opinions and text are all mine.
