Name: Boyacá pumpkin and pork bake (Torta de calabaza y cerdo)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 500 g ground pork; 300 g peeled orange pumpkin or firm winter squash, diced; 40 g plain toasted breadcrumbs, ideally grated Colombian calados; 200 g beaten egg (about 4 large eggs); 480 ml whole milk; 28 g butter; 8 g all-purpose wheat flour; 30 ml neutral oil; 150 g ripe tomato, peeled and chopped; 60 g scallions, finely chopped; 8 g fine salt; 2 g black pepper

Wide view of the savory Boyacá pumpkin and pork bake, with a cut portion in front and the rustic casserole behind it on an Andean table.

Region Andean Colombia, Boyacá

Category Savoury pumpkin, pork and egg bake

Yield 8 portions

Preparation time About 30 minutes

Active time About 35 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Boyacá pumpkin and pork bake (Torta de calabaza y cerdo)

Combine tender pumpkin, seasoned pork and a creamy egg-and-milk sauce, then bake beneath a crisp layer of toasted crumbs.

Torta de calabaza y cerdo is an everyday savoury bake from Boyacá in Colombia’s Andean region. The Ministry of Culture’s traditional recipe inventory describes it as a dish of mashed pumpkin, pork, eggs and butter baked in a mould. The fuller cookbook version adds tomato, scallion, a creamy white sauce and grated calados, the regionally familiar toasted bread crisps used as a crumb topping.

The cookbook gives eight to ten portions and calls for a 350° oven, but the scale is not consistent in the source transcription. This edition uses 180°C as a practical interpretation of 350°F and states that choice openly. The source’s knife test remains a useful visual cue; because the bake contains eggs and pork, a thermometer provides a more dependable safety check.

Cook the pork and pumpkin separately before combining them with the sauce. Drain the pumpkin very well so the bake sets rather than weeps. Fold the beaten eggs into the warm milk sauce gently, then bake until the centre is set and reaches 71.1°C. A short rest makes neat portions easier to serve.

Ingredients

500 g ground pork
300 g peeled orange pumpkin or firm winter squash, diced
40 g plain toasted breadcrumbs, ideally grated Colombian calados
200 g beaten egg (about 4 large eggs)
480 ml whole milk
28 g butter
8 g all-purpose wheat flour
30 ml neutral oil
150 g ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
60 g scallions, finely chopped
8 g fine salt
2 g black pepper

Method

Cook the pork with tomato and scallion Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pork and break it into small pieces. When it is no longer pink, add the tomato, scallions, salt and pepper. Cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and the pork is fully cooked. Set aside.
Simmer and mash the pumpkin Put the diced pumpkin in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook about 15 minutes, until a fork passes through easily. Drain thoroughly in a colander for several minutes, then mash until mostly smooth. Excess water can make the bake loose.
Make the creamy egg sauce Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and lightly thickened. Temper the beaten eggs by whisking a ladle of warm sauce into them, then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan over low heat. Stir until creamy; do not let it boil or scramble.
Combine and top Heat the oven to 180°C. The source’s “350°” lacks a confirmed scale; 180°C is a practical interpretation. Butter a roughly 23 cm baking dish. Fold the mashed pumpkin and cooked pork mixture into the warm sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning only if needed. Spoon into the dish and spread evenly, then cover with the toasted breadcrumbs.
Bake until set and verify the centre Bake for about 25 minutes, until the topping is lightly golden and a clean knife inserted near the centre comes out without wet sauce. Check the centre with a clean food thermometer; it must reach at least 71.1°C. If it has not, continue baking and check again. Rest for 10 minutes before serving warm.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Rounded estimate for one portion. Values vary with the fat level of the pork, the type of squash, the milk and the breadcrumbs.

Practical guidance

1. Use firm orange pumpkin or winter squash. Avoid watery squash varieties, which can dilute the creamy filling. 2. Cut the pumpkin into similar-size pieces so they soften at the same rate. Drain it thoroughly after simmering; extra water is the main cause of a loose bake. 3. Calados are toasted Colombian bread crisps. Plain toasted breadcrumbs make a practical substitute; use an unseasoned variety so the topping does not overpower the filling. 4. Break up the ground pork as it cooks so small pieces distribute evenly through each slice. Cook it fully before mixing with the dairy and eggs. 5. Keep the white sauce over low heat once the eggs are added. Gentle stirring keeps it creamy and avoids scrambled egg pieces. 6. The source gives a knife test and a 350° oven setting without a clear scale. This version uses 180°C and checks the centre of the egg bake at 71.1°C. 7. Equipment: Saucepan for pumpkin, skillet, saucepan and whisk for the sauce, masher, colander, buttered oven dish, spatula and clean instant-read thermometer. 8. Let the pumpkin steam off in the colander for several minutes before mashing. Do not press it through a sieve while it is still holding cooking water. 9. Tempering the eggs with warm sauce reduces the risk of curdling before the bake goes into the oven. 10. Spread the crumb topping evenly; a thin, complete layer browns more reliably than a few thick patches. 11. Serve warm as a main dish. A crisp green salad or plain rice is optional and is not included in the nutrition estimate. 12. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours. Reheat the centre to at least 74°C; the creamy texture will soften slightly after chilling.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk, egg and wheat. Keep pork, eggs and milk refrigerated until use. Separate raw pork and its utensils from the cooked pumpkin and ready-to-eat foods; wash hands, surfaces and equipment after handling. Cook the pork mixture fully before combining it with the sauce. Bake the egg-based dish until its centre reaches at least 71.1°C, measured with a clean thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to at least 74°C.

Final notes

1: The Ministry of Culture inventory documents this as an everyday Boyacá bake made with mashed pumpkin, pork, eggs and butter. 2: The cookbook gives eight to ten portions; this version selects eight and converts household measures to metric amounts.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 8 portions
Calories: 335 kcal
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: 480 mg

Boyacá pumpkin and pork bake (Torta de calabaza y cerdo)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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