Criollo Beef and Roasted Pumpkin Pie with Polenta Cheese Crust

Name: Criollo Beef and Roasted Pumpkin Pie with Polenta Cheese Crust
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Argentina
Ingredients: 1.1 lb ground beef; 1.5 lb pumpkin or butternut squash; 2 cups onion; 1 cup red bell pepper; 1/3 cup green olives; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup tomato purée; 3/4 cup instant polenta; 1 1/2 cups water; 3 oz grated sardo or parmesan cheese; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup milk; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground chili flakes; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup fresh parsley; 1 tbsp wheat flour

An original Argentine-inspired savory pie with a juicy base of sautéed beef, onion, olives, and paprika, topped with spiced roasted pumpkin and a golden polenta-cheese crust. Comforting, rustic, and deeply flavorful.

30 minPrep

55 minCook

85 minTotal

6Servings

High Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

500 g ground beef (preferentemente with 10-15% of grasa)
700 g pumpkin or butternut squash (pelada and diced)
250 g onion (chopped diced small)
120 g red bell pepper (chopped)
60 g green olives (chopped)
10 g garlic (chopped)
120 ml tomato purée (without sugar)
120 g instant polenta (for the crust)
360 ml water (for cocinar the polenta)
80 g grated sardo or parmesan cheese (divided)
1 unit egg (for the crust)
60 ml milk (for suavizar the polenta)
30 ml olive oil (divided)
4 g sweet paprika
2 g ground cumin
2 g dried oregano
1 g ground chili flakes (optional)
8 g salt (or a taste)
2 g black pepper (freshly ground)
15 g fresh parsley (chopped)
10 g wheat flour (for espesar levemente the relleno)

Nutrition facts

per serving

430 kcal

Calories

27 g

Protein

24 g

Carbs

25 g

Fat

4 g

Fiber

20 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

GlutenDairyEggs

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray and toss it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a little black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned at the edges.
2
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
3
Add the ground beef and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Add the remaining sweet paprika, remaining cumin, dried oregano, chili flakes, remaining salt, and black pepper.
4
Sprinkle the wheat flour over the beef and stir well for 1 minute. Add the tomato purée and cook for 3 minutes until the filling is moist but not runny. Stir in the green olives and fresh parsley. Remove from the heat.
5
When the pumpkin is ready, transfer it to a bowl and mash it with a fork into a rustic purée. Adjust with an extra pinch of salt and black pepper if needed.
6
In a small saucepan, bring the water and milk to a gentle boil. Rain in the instant polenta while whisking constantly. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and mix in half of the grated cheese and the egg until combined.
7
Lower the oven temperature to 200 °C / 400 °F. In a baking dish about 11 x 8 inches, spread the beef filling in an even layer. Cover with the rustic pumpkin purée.
8
Spread the cooked polenta over the top using a spatula or a damp spoon. Finish with the remaining grated cheese sprinkled over the surface.
9
Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F, until the crust is set and golden. For deeper color, broil for 2 to 3 additional minutes, watching closely.
10
Let it rest for 8 minutes before serving so the filling can settle and the portions slice neatly.

Chef tips

For a more Argentine flavor profile, use a mix of green and black olives and finish with a little extra fresh parsley before serving. If the polenta firms up while spreading, moisten the spoon with hot water.

Substitutions

You can replace the ground beef with ground pork or chicken. The pumpkin can be swapped for roasted sweet potato. Sardo or parmesan can be replaced with another hard grating cheese that melts and browns well.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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