Name: Upside-Down Courgette & Ricotta Tart
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 1 tart
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 2 medium courgettes, sliced into 3mm rounds; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp honey; 1 tsp dried thyme; Salt and black pepper; 200g ricotta; 40g Parmesan, finely grated; 1 garlic clove, minced; Zest of ½ lemon; 1 tsp dried thyme; Salt and black pepper; 150 g plain flour (or 150 g gluten free flour blend); 40g Parmesan, finely grated; ½ tsp salt; 50ml olive oil; 1 egg; 1-2 tsp water, if needed; Fresh lemon zest; Extra virgin olive oil; Flaky sea salt; A few fresh thyme leaves

I love this tart for the combination of tender courgettes and creamy ricotta, with plenty of lemon and Parmesan to bring everything together. The courgettes cook directly in the dish underneath the ricotta and pastry, becoming soft and lightly caramelised as they bake.

The pastry is one of my favourite parts because it’s so quick to make. There’s no chilling or blind baking needed, just mix everything together, roll it out and place it straight over the filling. The olive oil gives it a lovely crisp, golden finish, while the Parmesan adds extra savouriness.

Baking the tart upside down means the courgettes sit in the olive oil, honey and thyme as they cook, allowing their flavour to develop while the pastry stays above everything and bakes until golden. The honey is optional, but I find that a little helps the courgettes caramelise beautifully as they cook.

Once it’s inverted, you get those beautifully caramelised courgettes sitting on top, with the creamy ricotta underneath and crisp pastry forming the base. Finish with fresh lemon zest, thyme and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients

For the courgette layer

2 medium courgettes, sliced into 3mm rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and black pepper

For the ricotta layer

200g ricotta
40g Parmesan, finely grated
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and black pepper

For the pastry

150 g plain flour (or 150 g gluten free flour blend)
40g Parmesan, finely grated
½ tsp salt
50ml olive oil
1 egg
1-2 tsp water, if needed

To finish

Fresh lemon zest
Extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
A few fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan. Line a 23cm ceramic pie dish, lightly grease with olive oil and line with baking paper.

Drizzle the olive oil and honey into the dish. Sprinkle over the dried thyme, salt and black pepper. Arrange the courgette slices in a tightly overlapping spiral.

In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread into a thin, even layer over the courgettes.

In another bowl, mix the flour, Parmesan and salt. Add the olive oil and egg and mix until a dough forms. You may need to use your hands to form the dough. If needed, add 1-2 teaspoons of water.

Roll the dough into a circle on a sheet of baking paper and carefully flip it over the ricotta, tucking in any edges. Remove the baking paper.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and firm. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a serving plate. Finish with fresh lemon zest, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt and fresh thyme leaves.

Notes

Slice the courgettes as evenly and thinly as possible so they cook through and soften without releasing too much water. When rolling the pastry, don’t worry about getting a perfect circle, just make sure it reaches the edges of the dish and covers the ricotta completely.