Zucchini and Ricotta Tart

This Zucchini and Ricotta Tart is so yummy even people who don’t like zucchini will love it (like my husband Joe)! He tried this tart and like it so much that he asked for more. I almost fell over! I felt like a mom who sneaks vegetables into meals just to get her kids to eat them.

The secret was putting the zucchini on top of puff pastry. (Joe loves anything with puff pastry!) This Zucchini and Ricotta Tart has a crispy and flaky puff pastry shell that is filled with a creamy and herbaceous ricotta filling and topped with thinly sliced zucchini.

What to do with all that Ricotta!

I wanted to make something easy with the big container of ricotta cheese that I had in the fridge. (We are constantly at the warehouse club stores, so its hard not to buy anything that comes in a big tub!) So, this is what I came up with.

I used frozen puff pastry as the base of this tart. (I always have a box in the freezer.) We have a little container garden in the backyard with lots of fresh herbs and scallions. So, I picked parsley, basil and mint and added them to the ricotta filling. You can use whichever herbs you like in the filling. Thyme, cilantro and dill are other nice options. Then just top with some thinly sliced zucchini and bake. Believe it or not, its that easy! (The hardest part is waiting for it to cool long enough to eat it!)

Zucchini and Ricotta Tart is Perfect for any Occasion

This Zucchini and Ricotta Tart makes a nice appetizer for a few people or part of a light meal for a couple. I made it as part of my Brunch Board, but you can serve this anytime of the day. It is delicious hot or at room temperature.

Zucchini and Ricotta Tart

5 from 4 votes

Recipe by Margaret Sanfelippo Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

This Zucchini and Ricotta Tart has a flaky puff pastry shell that is filled with a creamy and herbaceous ricotta filling and topped with zucchini.

Ingredients

• 1 1 medium zucchini

• 2 & 1/8 tsp 2 & 1/8 salt

• 1/2 cup 1/2 ricotta cheese, drained

• 1/4 cup 1/4 mixture of fresh basil, fresh parley and fresh mint

• 1 1 scallion

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 lemon zest

• 1/8 tsp 1/8 black pepper

• 1 tbsp 1 extra virgin olive oil

• 1 sheet 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

• 1 1 egg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400F. Thinly slice the zucchini. Place the slices in a colander and gently toss with 2 tsp of salt. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. This releases the excess water from the zucchini. Now, gently squeeze the zucchini slices between your palms in small batches and place them in a medium bowl.
• While the zucchini is sitting, make the ricotta cheese mixture. Roughly chop the blend of herbs and the scallion. Add the ricotta, herbs, scallion, lemon zest, 1/8 tsp salt and ground black pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until nice and smooth and the mixture is light green.
• Unfold the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

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• With a sharp knife, score the pastry about ¼” from the edges to create a border. Be careful not to cut all the way through it.

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• Spread the ricotta mixture evenly on the crust inside the border.

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• Top with the zucchini slices. (They can overlap or curl up a little.) Drizzle the filling with the extra virgin olive oil.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork until frothy. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg on the edges of the tart.
• Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is puffed up and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• This tart can be served hot or at room temperature.