Despite its utter simplicity, this tartlet – a rendition of an Ina Garten recipe – combines rich goat cheese and refreshing ricotta with bright summer zucchini to create a filling and delicious dish that falls somewhere between a pie and a pizza. It makes a great vegetarian dinner but is also wonderful served as an appetizer for a dinner party or large gathering.

It’s also super easy to make, especially if you opt for store-bought tart dough, though I do prefer to make my own. Choose zucchini that have similar diameters so that the slices will be relatively uniform. The squash blossom are optional (if you’re not into eating flowers) and do require a bit more work, but if you can find them at the store or your local farmers market, stuffing them with the goat cheese, ricotta mixture and adding them to the tart does make for a lovely presentation.

To make this ahead, make and roll out the dough and assemble the tart. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours; bake just before serving.

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tartlet with Stuffed Squash Blossoms

This simple tartlet combines rich goat cheese and refreshing ricotta with bright summer zucchini to create a filling and delicious dish that falls somewhere between a pie and a pizza. Make it for dinner, or slice thin and serve it as an appetizer for a party.

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Keywords: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Chill Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 431 kcal

Net Carbs: 26 g

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Ingredients

 

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Savory Tart Dough

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 9 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
• 4 Tbsp ice water

Zucchini Goat Cheese Tartlet

• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini, (about 3-4 medium)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 5 oz creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
• 5 oz basket ricotta
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6-8 squash blossoms, (optional)
• Maldon sea salt, to taste
• drizzle high quality extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Savory Tart Dough

• In a food processor, add the flour, salt, thyme, black pepper, and butter. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and pulse until the mixture just comes together, but does not quite form a ball.
• Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and form it into a ball using your hands. Gently the flatten the ball of dough into a 1 1/2 inch thick disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour until it is firm enough to roll out.
• Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper into a round about an 1/8 inch thick and 11 inch in diameter. Transfer the parchment and dough to a baking sheet or pizza pan, and trim off the excess parchment. Prick the dough in several places with a fork. Cover with foil and freeze for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

Zucchini Goat Cheese Tart

• While the dough is in the fridge, thinly slice the zucchini into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place the slices in a colander set over a plate and toss with 2 tsp of salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes. This will help drain some of the water from the zucchini so they don't make the tart soggy.
• Spread the zucchini out on a clean dish towel or paper towels and cover with another towel. Press gently to remove some of the liquid. Put the zucchini slices into a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
• Remove the dough from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In another bowl, mash together the goat cheese, ricotta, and remaining Tbsp of olive oil with a fork. Mix in the thyme, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
• Spread the goat cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border. There may be a bit left over, which can be used for the squash blossoms, if you are using them. Lay the zucchini slices in tightly overlapping circles, starting at the edge of the tart and working your way in. Make sure they overlap each other by at least half their diameters, as the zucchini will shrink up when baking. Continue until the whole tart is covered. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the dough is golden and fragrant.
• (Optional) While the dough is cooking, prepare the squash blossoms. Gently remove the stamen by reaching in the flower with two fingers or a pair of kitchen tweezers and twisting slightly, being careful not to tear the delicate petals. Rinse of any critters or dirt. Using a chopstick or very thin, tiny spoon, gently stuff each flower with about 1-2 Tbsp of the remaining goat cheese mixture. Close the petals around the end and gently twist them to seal in the cheese. About 15 minutes before the tart is done cooking, remove from the oven and place the stuffed squash blossoms around the tart. Return to the oven for the remaining time.
• Remove from the oven. Drizzle with a fine extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Slice into wedges and serve warm.

Notes and Tips

You can opt for store-bought tart dough to save time, though I do prefer to make my own. If you can find squash blossoms at the store or your local farmers market, stuffing them with the goat cheese and ricotta mixture and adding them to the tart makes for a lovely presentation, but they are optional if you’re not into eating flowers. To make ahead, make and roll out the dough and assemble the tart; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, then just bake before serving.

Choose zucchini that have similar diameters so that the slices will be relatively uniform.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcalFat: 31gSodium: 992mgNet Carbs: 26gSaturated Fat: 17gPotassium: 360mgCarbohydrates: 28gVitamin A: 1147IUFiber: 2gVitamin C: 21mgSugar: 3gCalcium: 110mgProtein: 12gCholesterol: 69mgIron: 2mg