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Zucchini Ricotta Tart

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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!!

a close-up shot of zucchini tart on a baking sheet.

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? 😉

Overhead shot of zucchini tart on a baking sheet.
Sliced zucchini tart on a baking sheet.

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!

Sliced zucchini tart on a baking sheet.

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.

Zucchini Ricotta Tart- step by step photo tutorial

This tart is delicious either hot, warm, or even at room temperature, which makes it a fantastic snack or appetizer!

Sliced zucchini tart on a baking sheet.

Hope you’re inspired by this beautiful tart. Thank you for reading!

a close-up shot of zucchini tart on a baking sheet.

Zucchini Ricotta Tart

Make sure to fully thaw the puff pastry sheets before unfolding to prevent tearing. And don't skip sweating zucchini, or you'll end up with soggy tart!
5 from 2 votes
serves: 16 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total : 1 hour 30 minutes

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
Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

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:

Note 1: I use and recommend whole-milk ricotta cheese over skim ricotta cheese.
Note 2: You can use either flat leaf or curly parsley here.
Note 3: 1 box of puff pastry comes with 2 sheets. You can use just 1 sheet and half the rest of the recipe, if you’d like.
Note 4: Instead of egg wash, you can also use a tablespoon of heavy cream.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving: 1slice Calories: 233kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 16g (5%) Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 16g (25%) Saturated Fat: 5g (31%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 26mg (9%) Sodium: 429mg (19%) Potassium: 146mg (4%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 230IU (5%) Vitamin C: 7mg (8%) Calcium: 66mg (7%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Author: Shinee
Course:Appetizer
Cuisine:American
a close-up shot of zucchini tart on a baking sheet.
Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!

This recipe was originally shared on August 17th, 2015.

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  1. REGINA says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  3. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  9. 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

    Reply

  11. 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.

    Reply

  12. 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 🙂

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply