You’ll love the texture contrast in this light and crispy zucchini tart! From buttery crispy puff pastry crust to creamy herby ricotta filling to velvety soft zucchini slices!!
End of summer is all about fresh garden produce. And zucchini is in abundance right now!! Everyone gets overload of zucchini this time around. If you haven’t planted them, your neighbor probably did. Or something like that, right? 😉
Why you’ll love this tart:
This zucchini ricotta tart is inspired by Ina Garten’s “Make It Ahead” cookbook. I say “inspired”, because I changed a lot of things in the original recipe, from crust to the filling, but I was truly inspired by the simplicity and beauty of the dish.
Sure, there’s nothing like a pie crust from scratch, but I opted to use frozen puff pastry.
- It saves a lot of time without compromising flavor and texture!
- Light and crispy texture is unreal.
- Perfect for a spontaneous baking!
This zucchini ricotta tart is all about texture and flavor!
Crispy and buttery crust + creamy ricotta filling + velvety soft zucchini = simply irresistible!
How to make this recipe:
Thaw puff pastry. Start with thawing the puff pastry. Simply take it out of the freezer and leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes, undisturbed.
Prep the zucchini. Then we’ll sweat the zucchini to get rid off excess moisture! No one wants a soggy tart, right? And to do that, slice zucchini into thin rounds and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle generous amount of salt and toss well. Don’t worry, most of the salt will be rinsed out!
Let the zucchini sweat for about 30 minutes or so, then lightly rinse with water and squeeze them well. Place the zucchini in a clean bowl and stir in some olive oil!
Make the filling. Now, finely chop parsley and mix it with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, you can use a small blender to mix ricotta and parsley, and you’ll get a beautiful creamy green filling.
Assemble the tart. Once the puff pastry is fully thawed, unfold it and lightly roll it into a rectangle. Cut a border about 1/2 inch from the edges without cutting through. Then score it with a fork all over inside the border.
Smear the filling evenly and then arrange the zucchini on top. Repeat with the second puff pastry.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400°F.
This tart is delicious either hot, warm, or even at room temperature, which makes it a fantastic snack or appetizer!
Hope you’re inspired by this beautiful tart. Thank you for reading!
Zucchini Ricotta Tart
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 15 oz (425g) ricotta cheese Note 1
- 1 handful fresh parsley Note 2
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 box frozen puff pastry thawed Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk Note 4
Instructions
To prepare zucchini:
- Cut and discard the ends of the zucchini. Cut it lengthwise half way through, and then thinly slice it. Place the zucchini slices in a colander/bowl and gently toss with 2 teaspoons of salt. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. This method is called sweating zucchini and it helps to get rid of excess moisture.
- Then lightly rinse the zucchini with water and gently squeeze them between your palms in small batches and place them in a clean bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
To make the filling:
- Now, finely chop parsley and mix it with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, you can use a small blender to mix ricotta and parsley, and you’ll get a beautiful creamy green filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
To assemble the tart:
- Once the puff pastry is fully thawed, unfold it and lightly roll it into a rectangle. Cut a border about 1/2 inch from the edges without cutting through to create a border. Then score it with a fork all over inside the border.
- Transfer it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. And spread the ricotta filling evenly within the border. Then arrange the zucchini slices on top. Repeat with the second puff pastry.
- In a small dish, mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the border of the tart.
- Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is puffed up and golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
This recipe was originally shared on August 17th, 2015.
REGINA says
I have made this twice with a mixture of zucchini and yellow squash from the garden. So delicious that we are having it again today. The only change i made was using basil instead of parsley and a little lemon zest.
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and enjoyed the recipe!! Basil sounds delicious! Thank you for your feedback!
Iris says
Can this be made ahead?
Shinee says
Hi, Iris. I’d recommend baking the tart before serving. You can assemble the tart up to 4 hours ahead though.
Monika says
This is EXACTLY the recipe I was looking for! I have a question though, when you salt the zucchini, do you rinse it after as it is a lot of salt, and I feel like it would taste quite salty as well. I want to make this for Mother’s Day brunch in a few days!
Shinee says
Hi, Monika! So glad you found what you were looking for. I never had to rinse the zucchini. When you squeeze out the excess liquid, most of the salt also goes with it. Now I’m not really sensitive to salt, so if you want to, you could rinse and the squeeze out the liquid. Hope you’ll enjoy this tart.
Andrea says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it this weekend! Thanks for linking up to This is How We Roll Linky Party!
Shinee says
Thank you for stopping by, Andrea!
Karly says
What a great way to enjoy the summer zucchini! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Shinee says
Thank you, Karly!
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says
This looks absolutely delicious! I love zucchini and have never make a recipe quite like this. I’m pinning it so that I can make it very soon!
Visiting from Showcase Your Talent 🙂
Shinee says
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!
Mimi says
Shinee, this just looks divine! I adore baked ricotta and zucchini, and this marries the two beautifully. Love, Mimi xxx
Shinee says
Thanks, Mimi!
Karoline says
This looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it–zucchini is one of my favorites!
Shinee says
Thank you, Karoline! Let me know how you liked, if you get a chance to try the recipe. 😉
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh my, YES! This looks like such a lovely appetizer or snack, not to mention the perfect way to use the abundance of zucchini I seem to keep finding myself with… Pinning and can’t wait to try it! #SuperSaturday
Shinee says
Thank you, Kathryn! Glad you like the recipe!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Delicious! Love the creamy ricotta and pop of color from the healthy zucchini 🙂
Shinee says
Thank you, Medha!
Lorena says
My whole family L.O.V.E.S. zucchini! I will absolutely have to try this. They will love me (and you) for making this tart. It’s only 9:50 am and I’m craving lunch already.
Shinee says
Haha thanks, Lorena!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
This looks SO good, Shinee! I saw the recipe in Ina’s book when I bought it and its also been on my must-try list for awhile now. Your version looks so delicious too. And so awesome that you have grown all those veggies. I love grilling sweet corn, then shaving and tossing it with some zucchini chunks that have been sauteed in butter, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Then I garnish it with finely grated parmesan before eating 🙂
Shinee says
Oh, I can’t take credit for the garden. My husband and MIL are the one who grew all the produce. 🙂 We just made the similar dish that you described the other day. It had a Mexican name, that I can’t remember now, but we didn’t grill the corn. I will try that next time. It was so buttery and delicious.
Ali @ Home & Plate says
This recipe looks delicious. I have been experimenting with tarts and fruit but this zucchini tart takes my breath away. Looks wonderful.
Shinee says
Thanks, Ali!