Thin zucchini tart with basil and mint

Name: Thin zucchini tart with basil and mint
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 as a starter or light lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 80ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 5 medium zucchini (about 700g), cut into 1cm dice; ¾ tsp fine sea salt; 20 large basil leaves, roughly torn; 20 large mint leaves, roughly torn; 1 sheet ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry (measuring approx 27cm x 36cm); 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 60g parmesan cheese, finely grated; 1 tbsp plain flour; ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg; freshly ground black pepper

Helen Goh

February 17, 2023

Serve this vegetarian tart with a simple tomato salad.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4 as a starter or light lunch

At an agriturismo in Umbria last summer, we were served a zucchini tart that was both light and satisfying. When I asked about the herbs in it, the chef – with the lyrical name of Sunshine Manitoba – proudly told me how it was made. Here's my re-creation of it. Sunshine used a herb called nepitella, a kind of wild mint. I've added some basil, but dill would also work very well.

Ingredients

80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
5 medium zucchini (about 700g), cut into 1cm dice
¾ tsp fine sea salt
20 large basil leaves, roughly torn
20 large mint leaves, roughly torn
1 sheet ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry (measuring approx 27cm x 36cm)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
60g parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp plain flour
½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1
Pour the oil into a large frying pan, add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the zucchini and ¼ tsp salt and continue to cook, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes until softened. Add the basil and mint, cook for one minute, then remove from heat. Set pan aside to cool.
Step 2
Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and place on the kitchen bench for about 5 minutes so that it becomes just pliable enough to be unrolled without cracking. Unroll the pastry, keeping it on the baking paper it was rolled up in. Lift the paper and transfer directly onto a rectangular baking tray that is just slightly smaller than the dimensions of the pastry. The baking paper will now be lining the tray, with the pastry on top. Press the overhanging pastry against the sides of the baking tray to form a thin border, then set aside in a cool place.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 4
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining ½ tsp salt, then add the zucchini and onion mixture, grated parmesan, flour, nutmeg and a few twists of pepper. Pour the mix into the unbaked pastry case, spread it out evenly with a spatula, then place onto the upper third rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then move the tart onto the "floor" of the oven and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes until the pastry is cooked. Remove from the oven and onto a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a tomato salad.