recipe: sweet pepper, onion and zucchini tart

 

Sweet pepper, onion and zucchini tart

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 20 minutes total

Cook Time: 10 + 40 + 30 minutes (prebake crust, cook vegetable filling, bake tart)

Keywords: bake saute appetizer side vegetarian gluten-free low-carb soy-free sugar-free onion zucchini sweet peppers tart Italian

Ingredients (Serves 4-8)

For the crust

• 60 g raw cashews
• 55 g coconut flour
• 1/8 teaspoon Harissa spice mix or sweet paprika
• A pinch of salt
• 55 g cold unsalted butter

For the filling

• 4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces / 280 g sweet onions, like cipollini or walla walla
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Harissa spice mix
• 14 ounces / 400 g sweet Italian peppers
• 12 ounces / 340 g zucchini
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• 2 ounces / 55 g fresh chèvre
• 3/4 ounce / 20 g freshly grated cheese, like manchego or cheddar

Instructions

Prepare the crust

Put the cashews, coconut flour, spices and salt in a food processor and process until the cashews are finely ground. Add the butter cut into small cubes and pulse briefly a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

To bake the tart, I recommend using a 9 or 9 1/2-inch / 23-24 cm fluted round tart pan with removable bottom, about 1 inch / 2.5 cm high, optionally lined with a circle or parchment paper (the buttery crust does not stick to the bottom, but as I cut it in the pan, the paper helps protect the metal surface from scratching).

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Put the crust mix in the tart pan and shake to distribute evenly. Press the mix to make an even layer all around. The butter should be soft enough at this point to allow you to easily shape the mix with your hands. Otherwise, wait a little bit. To keep my fingers less oily, I prefer the butter not to be completely soft.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the crust turns golden at the edge. Take out of the oven and set aside until ready to assemble the tart.

Prepare the filling

Slice the onions lengthwise into thin sections no wider than 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm and separate the layers so you have short ribbons.

Cut the peppers lengthwise. Carve out and discard the stem portion, and the seeds and ribbing inside. Cut each half in half crosswise and finally slice each piece into short ribbons no wider than 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm.

Trim zucchini top and bottom, quarter lengthwise, then cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices.

Warm up the olive oil in a large skillet (I use a cast-iron one). Add the onion to the skillet, stir to coat and let cook on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking, stirring every now and then.

Five minutes after you started cooking the onion, sprinkle the spice mix and stir well, then add the peppers, stir and continue cooking, stirring every now and then.

Five minutes later, add the zucchini, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover and cook on gentle heat until the peppers are of the desired tenderness (20-25 minutes). Every few minutes, uncover and stir.

When the peppers are ready, sprinkle the salt, adjusting the amount to your taste and stir, then remove the pan from the heat. Let cool, then add the chèvre and stir well to distribute it evenly.

Assemble and bake the tart

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Transfer the filling on the prepared crust and distribute it evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.

Bake for 30-32 minutes. Take out of the oven, slice and serve right away.

I cut the tart in the pan. The crust is crumbly and as a result the plating may not be pretty, but the first bite of the tart will make you forget everything else.

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