Savory Vegetable Ricotta Tart

A savory vegetable tart that features creamy ricotta studded with fresh spinach, roasted butternut squash and red onions that are packed into a crispy phyllo crust.

First of all don’t let phyllo pastry scare you, it’s so forgiving, you could accidentally rip or tear it and no one would know the difference, it hides imperfections beautifully. I use to be afraid of it, in fact I did a post about it here. That being said there’s always a box sitting in my freezer now for sweet and savory dishes.

Besides phyllo dough the other important element to this tart is a good quality ricotta. I always buy mine in the deli section of my Italian grocer and it usually has  some watery liquid that clings to it when they scoop it out for you. You’ll want to drain the ricotta for a couple of hours or even overnight, you’d be surprised how much liquid comes out, this should be done to ensure your ricotta tart doesn’t bake up soggy.

Honestly you can top your tart with any roasted vegetables of your choice, I chose butternut squash because it’s perfect this time of year. You can also tailor this tart to what veggies are in season and what goes together well, like I did here with spring vegetables.

The creamy ricotta compliments the crunch factor of the phyllo crust with every single bite. You’ll love this tart for lunch, brunch or dinner with a green salad on the side, enjoy!

Savory Vegetable Ricotta Tart

 

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Creamy vegetable ricotta filled tart with a crunchy phyllo crust

Author: Marie

Ingredients

• 4 cups good quality ricotta, drained of any excess liquid
• 2 eggs
• 1 a nice handful of fresh chopped spinach
• 3 small garlic cloves grated
• ½ cup grated pecorino or parmigiano
• 1 generous cup of shredded provolone or shredded mozzarella
• 1 medium butternut squash, diced and 2 red onions sliced
• 8 sheets of. phyllo pastry, defrost according to package directions
• olive oil
• fresh thyme
• olive oil spray for ease of coating the phyllo
• tart pan with removable bottom, I used a rectangle pan 11-1/2 x 7 -1/2

Instructions

1. Peel, dice and roast the squash at 400F til slightly golden and tender on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little fresh thyme ( you'll definitely have extra leftover). Slice your onions leaving root in tact so they stay together when roasting.
2. In a large bowl add the ricotta, eggs, spinach, garlic, pecorino and shredded provolone and mix it all up very well to a smooth consistency, add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spray or oil your tart pan, then one by one add a sheet of phyllo, spraying or brushing oil on each one as you go, layer by layer into your tart pan, at the same time being careful to cover the remaining sheets with a damp cloth so they don't dry out.
4. When all the layers of phyllo are completed and oiled and into the tart pan, spread the ricotta mixture all over evenly.
5. Top the ricotta with your roasted vegetables evenly spacing it all over. (I'm sure you'll have some extra squash leftover.)
6. Tuck the ends of the phyllo all around the ricotta and tart pan.
7. Spray or oil the crust all around.
8. Add some fresh thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pecorino all around.
9. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for around 30 or so minutes until ricotta is set and the crust is deep golden.
10. Let it cool down before cutting into it.

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