Ricotta Tart Two Ways; crispy sheets of puff pastry spread thickly with creamy ricotta, topped with salted herby tomatoes or juicy spring berries.
This is the kind of recipe that is so straightforward that it feels almost immoral to call it a recipe. I’ll also add that any cooking or baking purists may as well look away now because this recipe proudly uses shop-bought puff pastry. Truly, who has the capacity to be making it from scratch every time?
Disclaimers now out of the way, let’s talk about how bloody good these tarts are.
Putting things in or on pastry, whether they be sweet or savoury, is something we’ve been doing for centuries. There’s good reason for this. It’s convenient, it’s versatile, it’s delicious. A wee slice of pie, steak or apple, macaroni or banoffee, does us good.
Today’s recipe (or thereabouts) is a love letter to puff pastry and its endless utility. I’m sharing with you a rich but nutritious savoury tomato ricotta tart that celebrates a timeless flavour combination. You’ll also see a sweet but satisfying berry ricotta tart that perfectly combines gorgeous fruity acidity with soft creaminess.
Both tarts need a good half an hour in the oven, but the preparation time shouldn’t take up much more than five or ten minutes. As long as you can slice some fruit and veg, and open up a tub of ricotta cheese, you’ve got lunch sorted.
This ricotta tart (two ways) is easily scalable depending on how many people you’re planning to feed. The base recipe uses one singular sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry to make two separate tarts, enough to provide a total of eight generous slices. Of course, you can use two sheets to make two bigger tarts, or double it again to prep a big quantity if needed.
Thanks to their almost insulting simplicity, both the tomato ricotta tart and the berry ricotta tart are also very easily customisable. In fact, the idea came from a summery recipe I posted a while back for a courgette ricotta puff pastry tart. The tomatoes can be easily swapped out for courgettes, asparagus spears, or sliced peppers. The berries could be substituted with sliced pears, cherries, or even peaches.
I’ve also kept both tarts relatively bare and simple in today’s post, but do feel free to dress them up. Some fresh basil leaves, a grating of lemon zest, minced fresh chillies, a scattering of sliced almonds. You can make these even more appetising (and deceptively fancy) with a variety of different garnishes.
They make a perfect picnic addition or satisfying snack, but are best eaten on the day they’re made or the day just after. The fillings and their flavours will develop nicely, but pastry is a fickle thing and will often start to soften or toughen after a day in the fridge. Enjoy your tarts while they’re fresh!
Want to save this ricotta tart recipe for later? You can pin the image below to Pinterest!
To make this ricotta tart, sweet or salty, simply follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
For the ricotta tart bases:
- 1 rectangular sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
- 230g ricotta cheese
For the tomato ricotta tart:
- Handful of red/yellow cherry or plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of dried rosemary
- Pinch of dried thyme
- Pinch of flaky sea salt (plus extra for the pastry edges)
For the berry ricotta tart:
- Handful of fresh strawberries
- Handful of fresh raspberries
- Pinch of caster sugar or brown sugar
Instructions
For the ricotta tart bases:
- Preheat your oven – 220 C / 200 C fan / 425 F / gas mark 6.
- Line a large roasting tin or baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper. No need for precise measurements here, just use the biggest tin/tray you’ve got! Otherwise, you can use two smaller tins that will fit together inside your oven.
- Roll out your rectangle of puff pastry onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, slicing it in half to make two separate pastry bases.
- Place the two sheets onto your tray(s), making sure to have some greaseproof paper underneath to prevent them from sticking to the tray.
- Use a knife to gently score a border of about 3cm along all sides of the pastry sheets. We’ll use this as a guide for filling and folding in a second!
- Spread your ricotta evenly over the centres of the pastry inside the scored borders.
For the tomato ricotta tart:
- Wash and dry your cherry tomatoes.
- Carefully slice the tomatoes in halves or thirds, depending on their size.
- Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on top of the ricotta on one base.
- Drizzle over the olive oil.
- Sprinkle over the dried herbs and flaky salt.
- Carefully fold the pastry edges in on themselves, just enough to create a bit of a border or frame for the filling.
- Set aside for a moment while you prepare the second tart.
For the berry ricotta tart:
- Wash and dry your berries.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the green strawberry tops, then cut the berries into quarters. You can leave the raspberries whole, or halve them, as you prefer.
- Arrange the prepared berries over the ricotta bed of the other pastry base.
- Sprinkle over the sugar, just enough to roughly dust the berries. It will help add a touch of colour, sweetness, and shine to the berries as they cook.
- Gently fold in the pastry edges as you did for the first tart.
To bake:
- Bake the two tarts in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the berries and tomatoes are tender and the pastry edges are puffed and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not swap the tomatoes for courgettes and asparagus spears in springtime, or swap the berries for sliced ripe pears in autumn?
This ricotta tart, in both its forms, will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days once baked, but is best enjoyed crisp and fresh from the oven!
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