What do you do with a bunch of asparagus, some artichoke hearts, a handful of fava beans, a leek and a few cherry tomatoes? You make a tart of course!
I always buy a pound or two of ricotta every week and I like to keep a box of phyllo dough handy at all times, it’s amazing what you can do with it, it’s so easy and forgiving to work with, and besides, I love the crunch factor it gives!
The ricotta cheese is pumped up and flavored with a hint of garlic, fresh basil, grated romano, asiago and fontina cheeses and an egg which makes for a creamy and very flavorful filling to have on top of the crunchy phyllo.
Press your pre-roasted vegetables right into the ricotta mixture and bake until the phyllo reaches a rich golden brown and the ricotta sets up.
All you’ll need is a salad on the side and your spring meal is complete!
This is the salad I served with my tart, a combination of tomatoes, avocado and olives on a bed of arugula with a lemon and olive oil dressing.
Dig in, you won’t even miss the meat!
- I used an 11½" x 7½" rectangle tart pan with removable bottom so the recipe will reflect that size pan, but feel free to adjust the recipe if using a 9 or 10 inch round tart pan instead.
- 4 cups of ricotta, drained
- 2 eggs
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- handfull of chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup of grated romano cheese
- ½ cup of grated fontina
- ½ cup of grated asiago
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 sheets of phyllo dough
- olive oil, preferably in spray form
- 1 bunch of asparagus, cut in half diagonally
- a large leek, cleaned thoroughly and sliced into rounds
- ½ cup cooked and shelled fava beans or replace with peas
- 1 heaping cup or so of artichoke hearts
- 1 cup or so cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- Pre-roast all veggies except the tomatoes, if using fava beans have them preboiled with skins off, if using peas instead, frozen and defrosted is fine.
- In a bowl whip the romano, asiago, fontina along with the basil, garlic and eggs into the ricotta until well incorporated.
- Layer each sheet of phyllo one by one into your olive oil greased tart pan fitting it in around the bottom and sides and spraying or brushing each sheet with olive oil as you go, if it rips don't worry it will look fine in the end.
- When finished layering each sheet spread the ricotta mixture all over.
- Press your veggies all around into the ricotta.
- Drizzle the top of the tart and sides of dough with olive oil, sprinkle with romano and bake.
- Bake in a 400 F. oven, keep checking after 15 minutes, make sure the crust is deep golden and ricotta is set.
- Let it cool down before you cut into it.
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
The tart looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it
for dinner over the weekend.
But that salad looks amazing. All the vegetables just look
perfect.
Denise
That looks like a perfect meal to me, Marie. I hope you enjoy a very Happy Mother’s Day with your family.
Marie,
Must I use a pan with a removable bottom? Is the removable bottom just to make it easier to get it out of the pan?
Eric
Eric, probably not, as long as you grease the pan the slices will come out, I just like using a tart pan with the removable bottom because it looks nice when it comes out.
Marie,
I hosted mothers day for my wife and mother-in-law at my house last week and made this tart and it was a big hit. There is no denying the eye popping appeal and it tastes as good as it looks. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh Eric, that’s awesome! So glad they liked it!
Marie, do you think this could be assembled the day before and then cooked the day of the party?
Debbie, I don’t think I would recommend that, it might get too soggy, I would definitely prep the ricotta mixture beforehand, that would be fine.
so beautiful…Your ideas are elegant simple and delicious
Marie – How do you keep doing it? Showing us post after post of beautifully arranged and delicious food? I hope your family knows how lucky they are!
Marie – I could eat that whole tart! With a few glasses of vino. 🙂 Happy Mother’s Day!
Marie,
Your tart is lovely enough to be a painting. Wow and so full of incredible flavors too.
Sam
This looks fantastic. A perfect meal.
To James – I believe Ina wants you to use puff pastry not phyllo. I hope you don’t mind me making that suggestion.
Hello! The flat tart is a great idea – like a deconstructed spring quiche. A ‘must try’, but it’s the photo of that glorious salad you served with it that took my breath away! If the phyllo tart and the tomato avocado salad was what you served your family on a weekday, then lucky lucky them! I spend a lot of time in the kitchen (mostly incorporating multiple vegetables into dishes in disguise ;-p ), but you inspire me to step up my game!
i enjoy phyflo very much, but i tried to make Ina G, cinnamon rolls with it and found it hard to work with. The phyflo just broke in my hands This was a first time I used the phyflo and I let it sit out a little to long, the more I do the better I get at it! My next attempt will be your beautiful tart.
Jim you have to keep it covered with a damp towel, it dries up really fast, but it’s very forgiving.
Where are you!!! I want to be your hungry neighbor!!!
This looks beautiful, Marie! It would make a perfect appetizer for a barbecue–a nice way to incorporate some veggies into the fare.
Beautiful, and this is too funny, Marie. I just made a very similar dish! What is that they say about great minds?! I just love these light Spring foods. Don’t you?