Leek and Ricotta Tart with Asparagus

A sheet of puff pastry, a tub of ricotta and two leeks, and what comes out of the oven looks like something you would pay for. This is the Friday night one, the dish you can put in the middle of the table when people come over, and nobody would ever guess it was the last of a budget shop. Let's cook!

Why This Leek and Ricotta Tart Works

Par-baking the base is what stops a soggy bottom. Fifteen minutes on its own, docked with a fork so it cannot balloon, and the pastry is already cooked and crisp before anything wet touches it.

Scoring a frame gives you the risen edge without a tin. A shallow cut about a centimetre in, not all the way through, and that border puffs up while the middle stays flat and holds the filling.

Leeks get charred, then steamed in the same pan. Colour first for flavour, then a splash of water and a lid so they go completely soft. Two techniques, one pan, no extra washing up.

Ricotta needs help and parmesan gives it. On its own ricotta is bland and a bit wet. Plenty of parmesan, salt and pepper and the leftover egg turn it into a proper savoury custard.

One egg does two jobs. Brushed on the frame for colour, and the rest goes into the ricotta. It is the only thing in this dish that did not come from the shop.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Serves: 4, or 2 with very good leftovers
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: None

The two things that make or break a tart like this are both about the pastry, and both happen before any topping goes near it. First, dock the middle properly. Take a fork and make holes all over the inside of the frame, more than feels necessary. Those holes let steam escape so the base stays flat instead of lifting into a dome. Second, par-bake it and then push the middle back down halfway through. Puff pastry will try to rise everywhere regardless of what you have done to it, and a firm press with the back of a spoon at the halfway point flattens the bed back out while it is still soft enough to move. Get those two right and you get a crisp base holding a soft filling, rather than a pastry pillow with things sliding off it.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tub of ricotta, about 250g
• A good handful of grated parmesan
• 2 leeks
• 1/2 bunch of asparagus, about 125g
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: lemon zest and chopped herbs

How to Make Leek and Ricotta Tart

1. Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan / 365F / Gas Mark 4) and line a tray.
2. Score and dock the pastry. Unroll the sheet and score a frame about a centimetre in from the edge, cutting only halfway through. Then prick the whole middle all over with a fork.
3. Egg wash the frame. Beat the egg and brush it around the scored border only. Keep the rest of the egg for the ricotta.
4. Par-bake for 15 minutes. Halfway through, open the oven and press the middle back down with the back of a spoon so it does not puff up.
5. Mix the ricotta. In a bowl with the leftover egg, plenty of grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Taste it. Add lemon zest and chopped herbs if you have them.
6. Cut the leeks. Slice each one in half lengthways and then across, then cut each piece lengthways again into 3 or 4, depending on how big your leeks are.
7. Wash them properly. Leeks are notoriously dirty and grit hides between the layers. Rinse well and shake dry.
8. Char then steam. Olive oil in a pan over a medium high heat, leeks in cut side down, and let them take real colour on the bottom. Season. Once nicely charred, add a good splash of water and clamp a lid on. Cook until the water has gone completely and the leeks are soft.
9. Build the tart. Spread the ricotta over the par-baked middle, right up to the frame. Lay the leeks over the top, then the asparagus spears over them.
10. Back in for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the topping is set.
11. Serve hot, cut into squares, with a green salad.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It looks like a restaurant dish: And it is a sheet of pastry and two leeks
• One pan for the leeks: Charred and steamed in the same pan
• Feeds four properly: Or two with excellent leftovers
• No tin, no blind baking beans: Just a scored frame and a fork
• Very good cold: Better than most tarts the next day

Chef's Tips for Leek and Ricotta Tart

Dock the middle more than you think. Every hole is an escape route for steam. Skimp on this and the base lifts into a dome and the filling slides off.

Push the middle down halfway through the par-bake. Puff pastry rises wherever it can. Flattening it while it is still soft is the difference between a bed and a pillow.

Only egg wash the frame. Egg on the middle sets into a skin and stops the ricotta sitting properly.

Wash the leeks after you cut them. Cutting them open is what gives the water access to the grit between the layers. Washing them whole does very little.

Get real colour on the leeks before the water goes in. That char is the flavour of the whole dish. Pale leeks make a pale tart.

Cook off all the water before they go on the pastry. Any liquid left in the leeks goes straight down into your crisp base.

Season the ricotta hard and taste it. It is bland on its own and it is the layer everything else sits on. Plenty of parmesan, plenty of pepper.

Substitutions & Variations

• Any soft cheese: Cream cheese, cottage cheese blended smooth, or a soft goat's cheese
• No asparagus? Thin courgette ribbons, broccolini or peas scattered over
• Add lemon zest to the ricotta, which lifts the whole thing considerably
• Chopped herbs through the ricotta, thyme, chives or parsley stalks
• Shortcrust instead of puff if that is what you have, blind baked as usual
• A drizzle of honey over the leeks before it goes back in, which is very good against the salt

Storage

Best eaten fresh: Hot from the oven, while the pastry is at its crispest.

Fridge: Three days in an airtight container. Genuinely good cold, and it slices better.

Freezer: Not recommended. The ricotta goes grainy and the pastry loses its crisp.

Avoid: The microwave. A hot oven for 10 minutes brings the pastry back, a microwave turns it to a wet flannel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop a soggy bottom? Par-bake the base before anything goes on it, dock it thoroughly with a fork, and make sure the leeks have no liquid left in them. Those three things between them solve it.

Why did my pastry puff up in the middle? Not enough fork holes, or you skipped pressing it down halfway through the par-bake. Both are fixable next time and neither ruins the tart.

Can I use shortcrust instead? Yes. Blind bake it as you normally would with beans or rice, then carry on from the ricotta step.

How do I clean leeks properly? Cut them first, then rinse. Slicing them open is what lets the water get between the layers where the grit sits. Washing a whole leek barely touches it.

Can I make it ahead? Par-bake the base and cook the leeks a day ahead and keep them separately in the fridge. Assemble and do the final bake when you want it.

Is ricotta necessary? No, it is just what was on the shopping list. Cream cheese, blended cottage cheese or soft goat's cheese all do the same job.

What do I serve with it? A sharp green salad is all it needs. Something with a bit of acid to cut the pastry and the cheese.

Can I make it vegetarian? It already is, as long as you use a vegetarian hard cheese in place of the parmesan, since traditional parmesan is made with animal rennet.

You Might Also Like

3 Budget Dinners Under $50 NZD - Springtime Risoni, Mushroom Quesadillas and Leek Tart - All three dinners from the same $49.69 shop, with the full shopping list.

Springtime Risoni with Peas and Asparagus - The first dinner, and the other half of that bunch of asparagus.

Mushroom Quesadillas with Crispy Potatoes and Slaw - The midweek one from the same shop.

Charred Leeks with Harissa Oil and Toasted Nuts - The same char and steam trick, as a side dish.

Caramelised Onion and Feta Tart - Another tart worth having in the repertoire.

Make this one when people are coming over. It costs almost nothing, it takes under an hour, and it goes in the middle of the table looking like you tried far harder than you did.

Enjoy!

Del x

A crisp puff pastry tart with seasoned ricotta, charred soft leeks and spring asparagus.