Vegetarian Summer Vegetable & Harissa Pesto Rose Tart
This tart is so pretty and really easy to put together, it belongs in the centre of a table.
It’s a vegetarian tart, definitely tasty enough for a non-vegetarian and it’s always a dish that gets talked about!
Yes, it takes a little time to put together, to get that pretty rose design, but worth every vegetable petal.
I’m a little bit partial to harissa so harissa pesto is an obvious choice for me!
I like the subtle smoky flavour with hits of garlic and lemon that goes so perfectly with the selection of vegetable slices.
If harissa isn’t for you, then use your favourite pesto, the end result will be a different colour, probably green, but the tart will taste just great.
Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!
Tasty and pretty too!
What You Need
Pastry
250g Plain Flour
125g Cold Salted Butter – Cut into cubes – See Tip Box
25g Gruyere Cheese – Grated
1 Egg
Extra Butter for Tin
Plain Flour for Tin
Leave an overhang of pastry before blind baking.
Filling
2 Small Sweet Potato
2 Courgettes – See Tip Box
1 Aubergine
Lemon – Juice & Rind
250g Mascarpone Cheese
1 Eggs
25g Fresh Breadcrumbs
100g Gruyere Cheese – Grated
1 Jar of Harissa Pesto
2tbsp Olive Oil
Small Bunch of Thyme – Leaves removed
Give the filling a mix
How It’s Done
Place the flour and cheese into a food processor and give it a pulse to mix
Have the food processor running and add the cold butter a little at a time until the mixture resembles bread crumbsWith the food processor running, add the egg until the mixture comes together into a soft dough – See Tip Box
Wrap the pastry in cling film and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before using it.
Rub the inside of a loose bottomed 23cm tin with butter and then sprinkle it with flour until the whole of the inside is coated
Cut out a circle of non- stick baking parchment to fit the inside of the prepared tin and sit it in the tin.
Heat the oven to 180c
After the pastry has rested, roll it out and lay it gently inside the prepared tin – Leave an approximate 1 ½ inch of pastry overhanging the tin
Scrunch up some non- stick baking parchment and lay it inside the pastry covered tin.
Pour in some baking beans – See Tip Box
Place the tin into the hot oven and blind bake for 15 minutes
Remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and paper
Place the tin bake into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes
Remove from the oven
Use a sharp knife and run it over the sharp edge of the tin to cut off any excess over hanging pastry
Set the tin aside until needed
Reduce the oven temperature to 160c
Place an oven tray into the oven to heat up
Peel the sweet potato
Slice the sweet potato – very thinly and place into a bowl with 2 tbsp. of water – See Tip Box
Cover with cling film, place into a microwave and cook for 2 minutes
Once cooked, drain the water and set the potatoes aside.
Slice the courgettes, place them into a bowl with 2 tbsp water and cook in the microwave them for 30 seconds
Slice the aubergine and brush both sides of each slice with some lemon juice and place them into a bowl – See Tip Box
Place the mascarpone, gruyere, breadcrumbs and harissa pesto into a bowl and mix really well
Add the 2 eggs and mix together
Pour most of the mixture into the bottom of the pastry case and spread it flat
Pat all the vegetable slices dry
Place one slice of each of the vegetables on top of each other and roll them up.
Stand the rolled up veg in the centre of the pie.
Place pieces of the of the vegetable slices around the centre roll and keep alternating them until they form a spiral that looks like a rose
Spoon in the leftover pesto mixture to fill in any spaced around the vegetables
Sprinkle the fresh thyme leaves over the vegetables
Sprinkle the olive oil over the vegetables
Start with the middle and work outwards towards the edge.
Place the tart into the oven on top of the oven tray
Let the tart bake for 40 – 45 minutes turning the tart around half way through the cooking. – See Tip Box
Let the tart cool before running a sharp knife around the edge and removing it onto a serving plate.
Fill in any spaces with the pesto mixture.
Tip Box
Butter – I use salted butter when baking, but if you dine, add a pinch of salt to the pastry mix.
Courgette – The pie looks even prettier the more coloured vegetables are used.
If you can get your hands on a yellow courgette as well as the green, that will work really well.
Pastry – If the pastry doesn’t come together after adding the egg, add a little cold water 1 teaspoon at a time.
Slicing the veg – The vegetables should be sliced really thinly. I used a mandolin to get really thin slices.
Lemon Juice- Brushing the slices of aubergine with lemon juice will stop them turning brown.
Baking Beans – If you done have baking beans, use some un-cooked rice instead.
Oven – All ovens vary so adjust the baking time accordingly.
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