Courgette tart with Quartirolo cheese and lemon

AICI – Associazione Insegnanti di Cucina Italiana

Recipe by Nicoletta Airenti

FOR THE SAVOURY SHORTCRUST PASTRY : 250 g Italian ‘00’ flour 125 g butter 1 egg yolk 4 g salt cold water, to taste (around a quarter of the weight of the flour) FOR THE FILLING : 3 courgettes (not too large) 1 shallot extra virgin olive oil, to taste thyme and marjoram, to taste salt and pepper, to taste grated zest of one organic lemon 100 ml cream 2 eggs 30 g grated Grana Padano cheese 60 g diced Quartirolo some basil leaves

Sift the flour onto the pastry board and mix with the diced butter. Rub with your fingertips until you get a breadcrumb-like mixture. Add the egg yolk, water and salt and continue to knead briskly until you get a soft and even dough. Leave to stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, covered in cling film. In the meantime, cut the courgettes in half, remove the insides and cut them julienne-style. Brown the chopped shallot in a saucepan with
a little oil and a spoonful of water, add the courgettes and season with salt and pepper. Cook briefly over a high heat until the courgettes are dry and crunchy. Add the aromatic herbs and the grated lemon zest and leave to cool.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of 3 mm and place over a well-greased and floured baking tray. Prick the base with a fork and leave the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Cover the shortcrust pastry base with baking paper, fill with dried pulses and blind bake at 180°C for around 20 minutes. You can also do this the day before and keep the base in a dry place, covered with a tea towel.
Whisk together the egg, cream, salt and pepper to make a sauce. Fill the savoury shortcrust pastry base with the courgettes, the diced Quartirolo cheese and a few torn-up basil leaves and cover with the egg-based sauce. Bake in the oven at 180°C for around 20 minutes, until the surface becomes golden brown.
This savoury tart can be served warm or cold.