This herb-infused tart can be eaten warm, straight from the oven, or cold. It makes a great addition to a picnic as a side dish or even as a vegetarian main course. You can even make it a day ahead and pop it into your picnic basket the next morning. I used both yellow and green squash in this recipe, but you can use any other type of summer squash you can find. Try adding other herbs, like chives, dill, or coriander to customize it to your liking. Pair this tart with a fresh salad and a squeeze of lemon, and your picnic is ready.
1 tart
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place all the zucchini except 10 slices of each color in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Set the colander over a bowl for 30 minutes to allow the excess water to drain out of the zucchini.
- Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the pie crust into a large circle, 1/8 inch thick. Place the crust into a 9-inch tart tin with a removable base and trim the excess dough from around the edge of the tin. Gently prick the base all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust and fill the tart tin with baking beans or pie weights. Blind-bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the baking beans and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven heat to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic and zucchini. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, reserving 1 tablespoon of egg mixture. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest, ricotta, peas, basil, parsley, and salted and drained zucchini and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brush the base of the cooled tart shell with the reserved 1 tablespoon beaten egg. Bake for 5 minutes to set and seal the tart shell.
- Pour in the egg mixture and arrange the remaining zucchini slices on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until set.
Recipe by Hung Quach
Hung Quach
Hung Quach is a London-based foodie, blogger, and food and lifestyle photographer. For more recipes and food stories, visit her blog, Jet and Indigo, or find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.