It’s that delightful time of the year when our vegetable garden is exploding and yielding scrumptious produce in spades. We always plant lots of varieties of tomatoes; it’s the true staple in Italian cuisine and we won’t settle for anything but the best in the tomato department.
Our favorite snack is bread, tomato and olive oil and we particularly love the beefsteak variety. What I really love about beefsteak tomatoes is that they have lots of small seed pockets rather than four big pockets like so many other tomato varieties. The seeds don’t dominate the tomatoes and they’re beautiful when sliced. That’s why I opted to use them when I prepared this Tomato Ricotta Tart.
I spread just a thin layer of the ricotta mixture over the pre-cooked crust and topped it with a single layer of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of thyme and the result was amazing. We had Tomato Ricotta Tart for our country lunch with friends yesterday, and then again for dinner!
Here’s the recipe; the key thing is to make sure you use luscious, flavorful tomatoes because they’re the star here!
Tomato Ricotta Tart
Serves 6-8
One of the most delightful dishes summer can offer…and a great way to use those tasty tomatoes you have in your garden.
Special Equipment
A 28 centimeter (11 inch) tart pan. This is not absolutely necessary, but it’s ideal because the sides are about 2 centimeters (slightly more than 3/4 inch) deep…two thirds the depth of a regular pie pan. You can make do without it, but I strongly suggest using a tart pan.
Ingredients:
For the topping:
Tomatoes, about four large (preferably beefsteak) or enough to cover your tart in a single layer, sliced 1/2 centimeter thick (just under 1/4 inch)
Salt, as needed
Fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons
For the filling:
Ricotta, 375 grams (13 ounces)
Egg, one medium
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
For the crust:
Flour, 240 grams (8 1/2 ounces)
Butter, ice cold, cubed, 120 grams (4 1/4 ounces)
Ice water, about 1/4 cup
Olive oil for drizzling
Procedure:
For the topping:
Salt the sliced tomatoes on both sides and drain in a colander for an hour or more.
Remove fresh thyme from sprigs until you have two tablespoons.
Prepare the crust:
In a food processor (or use a pastry knife) pulse the flour and butter together until crumbly.
Pulse in ice water by the tablespoonful just until the dough holds together. The less you work the dough the better.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
While the oven is heating roll out the dough so that it fits your tart pan.
Place the dough in the tart pan and use a knife to trim the edges.
Use a fork to prick the dough all over: I usually prick about 30 times. This will keep your crust from puffing up when it bakes.
Bake the crust until golden, about ten to fifteen minutes.
Cool the crust completely.
For the filling:
Whisk the ricotta, salt and eggs together until creamy.
To assemble:
Use a spatula to spread the ricotta mixture onto the crust.
Top with the drained tomatoes, in a single layer.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes.
The Tomato Ricotta Tart can be served hot or cold, as an appetizer or main course, along with a salad or soup.
Use an attractive serving platter to serve the Tomato Ricotta Tart!
Equipment
- A 28 centimeter (11 inctart pan. This is not absolutely necessary, but it's ideal because the sides are about 2 centimeters (slightly more than 3/4 incdeep...two thirds the depth of a regular pie pan. You can make do without it, but I strongly suggest using a tart pan.
Ingredients
- For the topping:
- 4 Tomatoes about four large (preferably beefsteaor enough to cover your tart in a single layer, sliced 1/2 centimeter thick (just under 1/4 inch)
- 2 teaspoons Salt as needed
- 2 tablespoon Fresh thyme
- For the filling:
- 375 grams Ricotta 13 ounces
- 1 Egg medium
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- For the crust:
- 240 grams Flour 8 1/2 ounces
- 120 grams Butter ice cold, cubed, 4 1/4 ounces
- 1/4 cup Ice water
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- For the topping:
- Salt the sliced tomatoes on both sides and drain in a colander for an hour or more.
- Remove fresh thyme from sprigs until you have two tablespoons.
- Prepare the crust:
- In a food processor (or use a pastry knifpulse the flour and butter together until crumbly.
- Pulse in ice water by the tablespoonful just until the dough holds together. The less you work the dough the better.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- While the oven is heating roll out the dough so that it fits your tart pan.
- Place the dough in the tart pan and use a knife to trim the edges.
- Use a fork to prick the dough all over: I usually prick about 30 times. This will keep your crust from puffing up when it bakes.
- Bake the crust until golden, about ten to fifteen minutes.
- Cool the crust completely.
- For the filling:
- Whisk the ricotta, salt and eggs together until creamy.
- To assemble:
- Use a spatula to spread the ricotta mixture onto the crust.
- Top with the drained tomatoes, in a single layer.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
- Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes.
- The Tomato Ricotta Tart can be served hot or cold, as an appetizer or main course, along with a salad or soup.
- Use an attractive serving platter to serve the Tomato Ricotta Tart!
Nutrition
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