If you like historical cookery the whole text is worth looking at here, at Early English Books Online.
To make a Tart of the mellow of Pumpkins, Gourds, or of Melons.
Take the mellow of a Pumpkin, or of a Gourd, or Melon, cut it into peeces as small as a Nut, let them be half boyled in the same water which they will yeeld, over a gen∣tle fire, and have a care sometimes to turn and stirre them that they may not burn, or stick to the pot. And that you may have the less trouble with them, and cause them to boyl the faster, you may adde some water to them, but that will diminish their Natural taste. When your Pumpkins are thus half boyled, you must draw them forth of the water, and laying them dry you must cause them to drop out all their moysture, or press them in your hands between a Napkin, or any other linnen cloth, after which you must bruise them, and work them fine with a spoon. Observe, that instead of this foregoing manner of preparing your Pumpkins, Gourds, or Melons, you may take the mellows of them raw, and pound it, and cause it to bee half boyled in water, or Mutton broth, and after it shall be thus half boyled (fit for to be fryed either in butter or oyl) you must pass it through a sieve, or coarse cloth, to take away the strings of it. When your Pumpkins are thus prepared, you may put them into a platter, or little dish, and adde unto them a quarter of a pound and a half of Sugar, or more, a little Spice, some beaten Cinamon, and a little Salt, you may also put some Pine-apple kernells and Currans therein, and a little preserved Lemmon-peele, out in slices, some of the Pastry Cream, or grated white-bread, or Macaroons, or Naples Biscuit grated, or the bigness of an egge of sweet Almonds peeled, and pounded exactly in a Morter; you may also adde thereunto green Cheese, which hath not been uncreamed. Adde to all these ingredients as much melted butter as you shall judge fitting, or of Marrow, or of fat Bacon cut into small slices, and if it be on a Flesh day, instead of put∣ting Pastry cream into the said Tart, you may put some yolks of raw eggs into it. Mixe all these ingredients together, and make it up into the likeness of a Pudding; and if you meet with any difficulty in the mingling and knitting of them together, you may adde a spoonful or two of Milk the better to incorporate them. Your said Pudding being thus sufficiently prepared, you may put a good quantity thereof into a tart∣pan which is furnished with a dough Coffin, after which you may cover your said Tart with a lid of paste, and varnish your said Tart, and so put it into the Oven, and when it is almost baked you must powder it over with some sugar, and sprinkle it with some Rose-water.
The pie is remarkable for being not as clearly dessertish as we'd expect nowadays. That's not unusual for pies of the time -- English mincemeat was once made with real meat, and Spanish emapañadas are still sometimes traditionally made with meat in them. This has bacon, marrow, "green cheese" (probably meaning something like cottage or cream cheese) and a lot of other things that are uncommon in modern pumpkin pies.
Here is a proposed (as of this writing untested!) modernized form of it, thank you ChatGPT:
**Ingredients**
* 2 cups diced pumpkin, gourd, or melon flesh (cut into ½-inch cubes, “as small as a nut”)
* ½–1 cup water *or* light mutton broth (for boiling)
When pumpkin is prepared, add:
* 6 oz (about ¾ cup) sugar, *or more to taste*
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon (or other spice)
* Pinch of salt
* 2 tbsp pine nuts
* 2 tbsp currants
* 1 tbsp preserved (candied) lemon peel, finely sliced
* EITHER:
* 2 tbsp pastry cream
* *or* 2 tbsp grated white bread
* *or* 2 tbsp grated macaroons
* *or* 2 tbsp grated Naples biscuits
* *or* ¼ cup blanched almonds, peeled and finely pounded
* ¼ cup fresh “green” cheese (a young soft cheese such as queso fresco, farmer’s cheese, or ricotta)
* 3 tbsp melted butter *or* marrow *or* small slices of fatty bacon
* If not fasting: 2 raw egg yolks (in place of pastry cream or other binder)
* If needed: 1–2 tbsp milk (to help bind)
**For the pastry**
* 1 double-crust pie dough (bottom “coffin” and top lid)
**For finishing**
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1 tbsp rosewater
---
**Instructions**
1. **Prepare the pumpkin (two options):**
* *Option A:* Place diced pumpkin in a saucepan with just enough water to cover the bottom (½–1 cup). Simmer gently over medium heat until half-cooked (about 10 minutes), stirring often so it doesn’t stick. Drain, then press the pumpkin in a clean towel to remove moisture. Mash with a spoon until smooth.
* *Option B:* Pound the raw pumpkin flesh, then simmer it in water or light mutton broth until half-cooked. Drain and press out moisture as above. For a finer result, push through a coarse sieve or cloth to remove strings.
2. **Mix the filling:** Put the prepared pumpkin in a bowl. Add sugar, spice, salt, pine nuts, currants, preserved lemon peel, and whichever thickener you’ve chosen (pastry cream *or* bread/biscuits *or* almonds). Add the cheese and butter *or* marrow *or* bacon. If it is a flesh day, use egg yolks instead of the pastry cream/biscuit/almond option. Mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too dry, stir in 1–2 tbsp milk.
3. **Assemble the tart:** Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a tart or pie pan with the bottom crust. Spread in the filling. Cover with the top pastry lid, seal and crimp edges, and cut a vent.
4. **Bake:** Bake 40–50 minutes, until golden brown. About 10 minutes before done, sprinkle the top with sugar and lightly brush with rosewater.
5. **Serve:** Serve warm or cooled. The flavor sits between pumpkin pie and bread pudding, with savory notes if you use cheese and bacon.