Easy courgette and asparagus tart

This easy courgette and asparagus is so easy to make and tastes so good, that it's hard to believe it takes just minutes to prepare.

Fresh asparagus spears sit on a bed of courgettes and leeks and are covered with a creamy ricotta cheese mixture.

You will love this tart because

This courgette and asparagus tart is so easy to make, and tastes delicious both hot and cold. It's ideal for a mid-week summer meal, lunch box, picnic, or alfresco eating.

It's also special enough to serve at a dinner party either as a starter or as a main course.

Being meatless the tart can easily be adapted to serve to those following a vegetarian diet, just use a vegetarian cheese in place of the parmesan which is not suitable as it contains animal rennet.

Ingredients

Puff pastry – ready rolled pastry saves time and is perfect for this recipe.

 Butter

Oil – I like to use cold-pressed rapeseed or olive oil but any neutral cooking oil is fine.

Leek – This gives a mild onion like flavour which is not too dominating.

Courgette (zucchini) 

Thin fresh asparagus spears

Ricotta cheese

Eggs – large or medium

Milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg – to season

Parmesan cheese – or any hard strong flavoured cheese, finely grated

Scroll down for quantities and full printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to make the tart step by step

Made with ready-rolled puff pastry sheet this tart really couldn't be easier. You don't even need a rolling pin!

To make the pie crust you simply score a border around the edge by cutting about halfway through the pastry then score a diamond pattern on the border to make it look pretty. But hey, you can even skip the 2nd part and leave the border plain if you want.

Next, prick the centre of the pastry all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up unevenly. Then to ensure the pastry is deliciously crisp and flaky the pastry case is then part-baked.

Part baking ensures that your tart does not have a soggy bottom.

While the pastry crust is cooking the courgettes and leeks are lightly sautéed in a frying pan before piling into the centre of the par-cooked pastry tart case and topped with the asparagus spears.

The vegetables are then topped with a mild creamy-textured ricotta cheese mixture and sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese before baking.

To serve

The tart is delicious served warm straight from the oven, but also fabulous served cold making it ideal for picnics or lunch boxes. Serve on its own or with a side salad.

For a more substantial meal you could add some boiled new potatoes or try with this Piquant potato salad

Hints, Tips and Variations

• I used a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry as this is what is sold in my local convenience store and it is certainly convenient to use for this dish. You can also use regular puff pastry and roll it yourself. Roll out into a rectangle or square about the thickness of a £1 coin.
• I scored the edges with a diamond pattern but you can omit this step if preferred.
• You can glaze the border with some beaten egg to give a shiny finish to the pastry when baked.
• Take care when pressing down the centre, I did it with my hands but it can be a bit hot (I have developed asbestos fingers over the years). Use a palette knife or a fish slice.
• Replace the ricotta with crème fraîche or double cream (in which case you should omit the milk).
• Use gruyere instead of Parmesan.
• Replace the asparagus with thin baby carrots.