Courgette, Ricotta & Mint Tart

📝 Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry (about 230 g)
• 2 medium courgettes (about 200 g each)
• 250 g ricotta
• 4 eggs
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 1 lemon (zest only)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 g fresh mint (about 20 leaves)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Tart tin (26 to 28 cm)
• Mandoline or very sharp knife
• Colander
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Fine grater

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional, not fan). Unroll the puff pastry into the tin on its baking paper, prick it all over with a fork every 2 cm and put it in the fridge while you make the filling.
2. Wash the courgettes, trim the ends and slice them into 2 to 3 mm rounds with a mandoline or knife. Put them in the colander with a pinch of salt, toss and leave to drain for 10 minutes: they'll release their water here rather than in the tart.
3. In the large bowl, whisk the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan until you have a smooth cream. Add the finely grated lemon zest (just the yellow part), the grated garlic, pepper and very little salt: the Parmesan is already salty.
4. Carefully pat the courgette slices dry between two sheets of kitchen paper, then toss them with the olive oil. Take the tin out of the fridge and pour the ricotta cream over the pastry, spreading it out evenly.
5. Arrange the courgette slices in overlapping circles, working from the edge towards the centre, to form a rosette. Press them lightly into the cream so they stay in place during baking.
6. Bake on the bottom shelf for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden underneath, the filling has set (a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean) and the courgettes are lightly coloured. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
7. Leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Just before serving, finely shred the mint leaves and scatter them over the tart. For lunchboxes, leave to cool completely, cut into 4 slices and pack the mint separately.