So I made this beautiful, swirly zucchini tart with homemade vegan ricotta this week.
I didn't have company coming over or anything. I just had a magnificent home grown yellow zucchini and it deserved excellence. It's the little things.
If you can believe it, this tart tastes even better than it looks.
It's light, flavourful, and comforting. All the best things.
Yes, assembly will take a bit longer for this one, but it's so worth it. I mean just look at it! It's food art!
And while you will need to afford some time to slice the zucchini pieces and arrange them, it isn't hard work. So just put on a podcast like I did, and see it as therapy. :]
Plus, you can use some pre-made ingredients - like pre-made pesto and shortcrust - so it really isn't difficult at all.
And seriously, I think this is one of the best recipes I've ever made. Not only does it look impressive, but it tastes heavenly. The ricotta and pesto brings in such an incredible flavour. The flaky crust, delicate squash, and creamy base will have you going back for more.
I know you're going to love this one. Give it a try the next time you have a special brunch, Easter, Mother's Day, or just the next time you find yourself with a beautiful home grown zucchini destined for greatness.
YUM.
Recipea:
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 40 minutes / Cook time: 45 mins
Cashew Ricotta Ingredients
100g raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (oregano, parsley, basil)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons non-dairy basil pesto
2 medium zucchini (yellow and green)
1 premade frozen shortcrust, thawed (you are more than welcome to make it from scratch, but ain't nobody got time for that)
Method:
Soak cashews for at least 2 hours or overnight and then drain.
Add cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, almond milk, and spices into a food processor or blender. Blend until combined. The mixture will be thick and creamy and will have a similar grainy texture as ricotta cheese.
Set aside.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then half again lengthwise, so you have four long quarters. Thinly slice with a vegetable peeler or mandolin, trying to make the pieces uniform in thickness.
Lay the pieces out on a towel and sprinkle with a bit of salt to draw out the moisture. Place another towel on top of the pieces and press lightly to absorb the moisture so they don't make the tart soggy.
Roll out the shortcrust into a thin circular shape and place onto a circular greased baking pan or pie sheet.
Spread the pesto on the bottom of the shortcrust, coating the entire base.
Add the cashew ricotta mixture on top of the pesto.
Layer the zucchini standing up on their edges with the coloured peel facing up in a circular pattern, starting from the outside in, layering the zucchini around the edge until you reach the center.
Cut the excess pastry 1/2 inch above the top of the zucchini and fold down over the edges, smooshing (yes, it's a technical term) the pastry over the zucchini on the outer edge so the pastry won't shrink down below, but will instead bake to fuse over the squash (if that's confusing just use the photos below as your guide).
Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes or until the shortcrust is lightly browned and the zucchini is tender.
Let cool and enjoy!
