Colorful And Happy Veggie Blossom Tart
I saw this Colorful Veggie Blossom Tart on Facebook and Pinterest a few year ago and was totally captivated by the colorful appearance. The first time I made it, my family polished the whole thing off and asked for more! I knew I was onto a good thing. I call it a happy Veggie Blossom Tart since it makes me happy every time I take a bite. And I think it looks a lot like colorful flower.
Since that time, I have made this veggie blossom tart regularly. In addition to tasting amazing, this tart is extremely adaptable and on numerous occasions made this recipe to clear out my veggie drawer. The tart looks like a complicated endeavor but it is surprisingly easy to put together.
In addition to being a wonderful regular treat, I think this colorful tart will look right at home gracing your holiday table. This would be a wonderful option for the vegetarian at your dinner table. I have made this for our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals last year and it melded so well with our traditional festive spread.
The making of Veggie Blossom Tart
There are really 3 parts to making this fabulous tart. First, the pie crust. We are using store bought puff pastry sheet. You can substitue with regular pie crust, or homemade crust. Second is the pesto sauce. You can use your favorite store bought or homemade pesto sauce. This sauce binds all vegetable and crust together to make a delicious tart. Finally, the variety of thinly sliced colorful vegetables. I like to use what is in season and substitute with vegetables my family likes.
Ingredients and Tools
First gather up all the ingredients and tools. To simplify preparation of the veggies, I highly recommend using a kitchen mandoline.
For the pie crust – 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed. I am using a store bought crust today. You can use homemade or store bought.
Next, for the pesto, please prepare the following items:
3 cups fresh basil
¾ cup pine nuts
¾ cup parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
¾ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup ricotta cheese
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
If in a hurry, please feel free to use your favorite store bought pesto.
For the vegetables. Wash, dry and carefully slice thinly with a kitchen mandoline or a very sharp knife.
2 medium zucchinis
2 medium yellow squashes
4 large carrots
1 large eggplant
Putting the Veggie Blossom Tart together
For today’s recipe, I am using 1 large eggplant, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 1 yellow pepper.
Start by using a mandolin slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and peppers into thin ribbon-like slices.
Then on the pre baked pie crust, spread out the pesto mixture evenly on the bottom. Pre-cooking the pie crust means no soggy bottom!
Start layering on the veggie ribbons from the outer rim, working inwards.
Make sure to alternate the vegetables so the colors blend beautifully, until the entire shell is completely filled.
Last but not least, lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with dried oregano.
Pop the tart into the oven and bake in the 400°F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
When done, remove from oven and cool on rack for 5 minutes.
If you like, top the tart with fresh basil leaves.
Slice and enjoy!
More Flavorful Food Ideas:
Have you ever tried a Pull- Apart Garlic Bread that looks like a gigantic flower? Read about how I put together this gorgeous showstopper here => Beautiful Pull-Apart Flower Petals Garlic Bread
Have you tasted this soft ooey gooey Cinnamon Rolls and tried to make it at home? Read how I put it together here => I Tried Making the Best Cinnamon Rolls at Home!
I made this Fun French Apple Tart and learned a new technique on how to prepare the apples correctly. It makes shaping the tart a breeze. Read how I did it here => Fun French Apple Tart – Taking up Sara Moulton’s Challenge!
Colorful and Happy Veggie Blossom Tart
Ingredients
Pesto
- 3 cups Basil leaves
- ¾ cup Pine nuts
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- ½ cup Ricotta Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegetable Filling
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 2 Carrots
- 1 Zucchinni
- 1 Yellow Squash
- 1 Green Pepper
- 1 Yellow Pepper
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 Tbs Oregano, for topping
- 6 Fresh Basil leaves, for garnish
Pie Crust
- 1 piece Pastry Puff, or Pie Crust thawed
- Beans/Rice or Pie Weigh
- Butter for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare 9 inch pie dish. Grease pie dish with butter. Roll out pastry or pie crush and gently press into dish. Prick with fork and trim excess.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of prepared crust and add rice/beans/pie weights. Spread evenly to bottom of pie dish. Bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is parcooked. Remove from oven and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
- Next, prepare the pesto. If using store bought pesto, skip this step.
- Add the basil leaves, pine nuts, cheese garlic, ½ cup olive oil, ricotta, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Using a mandolin slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and peppers into thin ribbon-like slices.
- On the pre baked pie crust, spread out the pesto mixture evenly on the bottom.
- Start layering on the veggie ribbons from the outer rim, working inwards. Alternate the vegetables so the colors blend beautifully, until the entire shell is completely filled.
- Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with dried oregano.
- Bake in the 400°F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
- When done, remove from oven and cool on rack for 5 minutes.
- Top with fresh basil leaves if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe is adapted from https://tasty.co/recipe/rainbow-veggie-and-pesto-tart
