This recipe takes just over 5 minutes to prepare and about 20 minutes to cook. It just needs a crisp, green salad on the side and some good company to enjoy it with. It is super versatile and I have given a few simple flavour suggestions below… all are vegetarian but you can use fish/meat too. This can be enjoyed hot or cold and it’s really good in a lunchbox for school or work.
I cook "by eye” so my recipes mostly don’t need measuring. To cook in this way, you just need a bit of common sense and an innate confidence that things will turn out right in the end… and, if they don’t, it will all still be edible… so eat it anyway and practice it again later. You’ll have it perfected in no time.
I always make my own shortcrust pastry but I do draw the line at making puff … perhaps one day I will give it a try but, in the meantime, having good quality, ready-made puff pastry in the fridge or freezer is a handy time saver. If you do make your puff from scratch, for Goodness’ sake, tell EVERYONE in order to get a more appropriate level of appreciation for your efforts.
Ingredients & Method:
The Base:
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry (or equivalent amount of homemade puff plus the associated blood, sweat and tears ). One standard pastry sheet will serve between 4 - 6 people.
250g tub of ricotta (not the hard, salty ricotta)
1 - 2 eggs (depending on their size)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees
If frozen, make sure your puff pastry sheet is fully defrosted. The ready made stuff usually comes rolled up with some greaseproof paper on one side of it. Keep that paper on and put the pastry sheet (paper side down) on a baking tray to stop the pastry from sticking to it.
Lightly beat the egg(s) in a bowl.
Mix the ricotta and most of the beaten egg(s) together. Leave about 1 tablespoon of the beaten eggs aside to use later.
Decide what flavours you fancy (have a look at some suggestions below) and add them into the ricotta/egg mix. Season with a good pinch of salt and some pepper.
Leaving a 2cm/1inch “edge” on each side of the pastry sheet, prick the centre of the sheet a few times with a fork and then spread the newly flavoured ricotta/egg mix all over the sheet (leaving the 2cm/1 inch edge on every side)
Now channel your inner artist and create whatever masterpiece you want to with your choice of toppings (see below for some ideas).
Finally, work of art created, take the tablespoon of beaten egg mixture which you had reserved earlier and brush it along the 2cm/1 inch edge.. This will give the tart a puffed up edge and the egg brushing adds a little gloss to it.
Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes to cook but keep an eye on it after around 15 minutes though and if you think the pastry is cooked sooner, take it out of the oven earlier.
Suggestions for Flavourings and Toppings:
Lemon, parmesan, mint and asparagus (pictured) add the juice and rind of one lemon (or add the rind of two lemons, if you are a lemon addict like me) to the ricotta and egg mix. I also love adding some finely chopped, fresh mint too. Spread this onto the pastry base and top with raw or partly cooked asparagus (if the asparagus spears are thick). Bake as per above.
Pesto and Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables - into the main ricotta/egg mix, add 2 generous tablespoons of pesto. For the toppings - any combination, or even just one of the following will be delicious - strips of red/orange/yellow bell peppers, cherry tomato halves, ribbons of courgette or slices of pre-cooked aubergine. You can even use the pre-grilled and frozen or jarred version of these veggies. After baking, scatter with torn, fresh basil.
Goats Cheese, walnut and honey - into the basic ricotta/egg mix, stir in some crumbled goats cheese (I like fairly big chunks). Use whatever goat cheese you like but avoid any of the hard ones as you want the melty, creaminess that the softer ones will give. Once spread on the pastry base, gently press in some shelled, walnut halves/quarters. Bake. When out of the oven, drizzle a little good quality, runny honey over the top of the tart. Adding some cool, thin slices of nectarine after it is out of the oven will also really make this tart sing.
Mushroom, garlic and rocket - lightly fry some sliced mushrooms with a couple of cloves of finely diced garlic (you don’t need super fancy/expensive mushrooms for this). Into the basic ricotta mix , stir in a few pinches of dried (or fresh) thyme or oregano (or both!). Smear the ricotta mixture onto the pastry and artistically arrange the cooked mushrooms on top. Once cooked, add a little lemon zest to the tart to brighten the earthy mushroom flavours and then scatter a handful of baby rocket/arugula on top just before serving.
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