A light and refreshing Tarragon and Ricotta Summer Tart that's excellent served chilled for an easy al fresco lunch. I developed this recipe to serve a private chef client who was hosting a business lunch on the hottest day in July, and it's simply delicious.
You can make your own shortcrust pastry tart case or a packet in the shops; just try and get one made with butter rather than seed oils, as it just doesn't taste as good otherwise. The filling comes together so fast, and it's super rich and creamy without being heavy.
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🛒 Ingredients
For the pastry
- Plain flour (all purpose flour) - You don't need to use pastry flour, just plain/AP flour is fine.
- Unsalted butter - the quality of the butter in homemade pastry is key. I always try to find butter from grass-fed cows with at least 82% fat, and I always use unsalted to remain in control of both the quality and quantity of the salt. The butter needs to be slightly softened before use, but not completely.
- Egg yolk—I like adding egg yolk to shortcrust, as it makes it nice and rich and is a great binder. Some people are adamantly against this, but I stand by it.
- Cold water - Using water in tart crust gives an extra crisp texture, but it needs to be cold. I mix it with the egg yolk and put it in the fridge before use.
- Salt - essential to bring out the flavor of the butter.
For the tarragon ricotta tart filling
- Ricotta—This Italian whey cheese is very versatile, as it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It has quite a mild taste and thick texture.
- Cream—If in the US, use heavy cream or double cream/whole cream elsewhere. It needs to have a high-fat content for that velvety smooth taste and texture.
- Milk - Use whole milk.
- Eggs - Eggs help to set the tart filling and give us some richness and flavor.
- Parmesan - This just adds a hint of nuttiness and a bit more of a cheesy flavor.
- Tarragon - Fresh herbs have a better taste than dried herbs, but you can substitute dried tarragon for fresh tarragon using the following rule: 1 tablespoon fresh herbs for 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
- Lemon - A squeeze of lemon gives a delicious brightness and some vital acidity.
- Salt and cracked black pepper
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step directions on how to make tarragon and ricotta tart.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
How to make tart crust
- Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and add the butter in 1-inch cubes.
- Use your fingertips to quickly rub the butter and flour together until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Don't overwork it.
- Mix the egg yolk and cold water together and add half of it to the flour/butter mixture, swirling it in with one of your hands. Add more of the egg yolk/water one tablespoon at a time, until the pastry comes together into a ball with no crumbs left at the bottom of the bowl. You may not need all of the liquid, or you may need slightly more water. Wrap the pastry in plastic food wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll the pastry out and fit it into your greased tart case. Prick the base lightly all over with a fork.
- Line the inside of the pastry case with parchment paper/baking paper cartouche and fill it with baking beads (or use uncooked rice if you don't have any).
- Blind bake the tart crust on a baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cartouche and beads, and continue baking for a further 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown.
Top tip
If you have overhanging pastry, use a vegetable peeler to shave the excess from the edges of the tart to get a clean edge.
How to bake tarragon ricotta summer tart
- Turn the oven down to 175C/345F.
- In a mixing bowl or large jug, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, lemon juice, cream, milk, grated parmesan, and lemon juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and leave it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to take the chill off.
- Pour the tarragon and ricotta tart filling into the baked tart crust and bake for 20 minutes. Open the oven door and gently nudge the tray. We are aiming for a very slight ripple in the middle, anything further and it needs a bit more time in the oven.
- If necessary, bake the tart for a further 5-10 minutes until it is done. Allow to cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge.
🍽 How to serve
I serve this tart chilled, with some shaved courgettes (zucchini), salad leaves, and a balsamic vinaigrette. Edible flowers always look pretty, or try some of these other garnish ideas. It works as both a starter or a main course, and whilst you can warm it up, it honestly tastes best straight out of the fridge.
🍷Wine Pairing
A light and buttery white wine, like a Chablis works well with the creamy filling and flaky pastry.
🥣 Equipment
You will need an 8-inch tart tin for this recipe. I combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use my hands for the pastry and a small balloon whisk for the filling.
❄️ Storage and Freezing
Store this tart in the fridge, it will keep for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it, but I recommend serving it warm once defrosted to crisp up the pastry again. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to one month.
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📖 Recipe
Tarragon and Ricotta Summer Tart
Equipment
- 8 inch quiche tin
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
- 115 grams (½ cup) butter
- 230 grams (2 cups - 2 tbsp) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolks
- 3-8 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) water
Tart filling
- 225 grams (1 cup) Ricotta cheese
- 50 ml (¼ cup) milk
- 50 ml (¼ cup) cream double cream/heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 100 grams (1 cup) Parmesan finely grated
- 20 grams (5 tablespoon) fresh tarragon chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Shortcrust pastry
- Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and add the butter in 1-inch cubes. Use your fingertips to quickly rub the butter and flour together until the mixture resembles coarse sand with no large clumps of butter.
- Mix the egg yolk and cold water together and add half of it to the flour/butter mixture, swirling it in with one of your hands. Add more of the egg yolk/water one tablespoon at a time, until the pastry comes together into a ball with no crumbs left at the bottom of the bowl. Wrap in plastic food wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll the pastry out and fit it into your greased tart case. Prick the base lightly all over with a fork.
- Line the inside of the pastry case with parchment paper and fill it with baking beads.
- Place the tart crust on a baking tray in the oven and blind-bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the beads, and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown.
Baking the tart
- Turn the oven down to 175C/345F.
- Whisk together the eggs, ricotta, lemon juice, cream, milk, grated parmesan, tarragon, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and leave covered at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to remove the chill.
- Pour the tarragon and ricotta tart filling into the baked tart crust and bake for 20-30 minutes. It is done when the center still ripples very slightly when you gently nudge the tray.
- Allow the tart to cool completely before refrigerating until chilled.
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