Tomato Ricotta Tart

While reading my August issue of Cooking Light magazine, I came across another delicious meatless!  I was so excited to find I had all the ingredients to make this dish, but, per usual, my recipe became a modified version of the original.  The recipe just didn't make sense to me as written, so I changed it a bit.  I love how this recipe highlights the tastes of Summer with basil and tomatoes, and uses extra-virgin olive oil in place of butter in the crust, making this a heart-healthy recipe!

Here is my version of the Cooking Light recipe... and a few tips on how to improve it even more for next time :-)

Tomato Ricotta Tart
Serves 6

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used Tuscan Herb infused EVOO)
3 tablespoons ice water
Cooking Spray
1 egg white, reserved for brushing over crust

Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 450° F.   Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray, set aside.

Combine the flour, walnuts, salt, baking powder, and black pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined into a fine consistency.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and water together.

With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and water until the dough becomes crumbly.

Transfer the dough to the pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides.  Brush the entire surface of the crust with the reserved egg white.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 450° F  until golden brown.  Set aside.

Filling Ingredients:

1 - 15 oz. container of Light Ricotta Cheese

2 large eggs

2 garlic cloves, minced

Zest of half of a lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dried basil

3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend of cheeses)

2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch-thick slices and pressed between two paper towels

Filling Directions:

Whisk together the ricotta, eggs, garlic, lemon zest, and salt in a medium size bowl.

Add in the basil and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the crust and top with the slices of tomato, overlapping them slightly.  Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of shredded cheese over the top of the tomatoes.  Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning, and bake for 25 minutes, or until set.  

Let the tart cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

As you can see, I did not cover the edges of my crust with foil to prevent them from burning.  The recipe I followed/modified did not say to use the foil (although I should have known better!).  

Despite its appearance, this ricotta tart turned out to be quite delicious... it was a perfect light (and Vegetarian) Summertime meal.  I could definitely taste the flavor of the infused olive oil in the crust, so it's important to use the best stuff you have on hand for this recipe.  The light and flaky crust really complimented the lightness of the ricotta filling.  The filling had a lovely creamy texture with a hint of lemon, garlic, and basil, and a nice saltiness from the shredded cheese.  The tomato slices on top brought this dish together, adding a sweet acidity that offsets the cheesiness of the tart.  I could see this being even more beautiful and delicious with slices of heirloom tomatoes as well!  We paired this tart with oven-roasted Walla Walla Sweet Onions from the Farmer's Market and blanched, buttered green beans.  Yum!

Unlike the Cooking Light recipe, I used whole wheat flour and walnuts instead of all-purpose flour and pine nuts (which are super expensive!).  I also doubled the recipe for the ricotta cheese filling [otherwise there wouldn't have been a good filling to crust ratio!] and added the lemon zest.  Their recipe called for shredded Gruyere cheese, but since I didn't have any on hand, I decided to stick to the Italian theme and used the Italian blend of cheeses.

I highly recommend trying this recipe... it is a winner!

Librarian turned Foodie