9 hours ago
Ricotta, pea and pesto tart
One of the recipes from my first book, The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook, that drew people in was the tomato, cheddar and pesto tart – it's incredibly simple to make and such a crowd-pleaser. This is a similar dish, though a completely different flavour and a much fresher vibe thanks to the peas and lemon.
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Serves
4 to 6
Ingredients
1 x 320g packet ready-rolled puff pastry
150-200g frozen peas
250g ricotta
1 egg
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
4 tbsp Genovese basil pesto
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Unroll 1 x 320g packet ready-rolled puff pastry and lay it on a non-stick baking tray. Score along each side of the pastry, around 3cm in from the edges, to create a border – take care not to cut all the way through the pastry. Prick inside the border all over with a fork.
Step
Bake in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown and puffed up.
Step
While the pastry cooks, tip 150g peas into a heatproof bowl – if you'd like to scatter some whole peas over the top for decoration, use 200g. Pour freshly boiled water over the peas and leave for 2 minutes to defrost, and then drain.
Step
Put 150g of the peas, 175g of the ricotta, 1 egg, and the zest and juice of ½ lemon into a blender with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step
Pulse until combined and the peas have broken down a little – you can go as chunky as you like here.
Step
Remove the pastry from the oven and, using a spoon or fork, push down the puffed pastry inside the border to create a pastry case.
Step
Spread the pea and ricotta mixture over the centre of the pastry case – it's easier to start from the outside and work your way in. Return the tart to the hot oven for 8 minutes.
