Summer Vegetable Tart with Zucchini, Corn, and Herbs
A summertime vegetable tart with zucchini, yellow summer squash, and fresh corn. Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses are added and the finished tart is topped with slivers of basil, mint, and dill. This is a perfect side dish or a light dinner with a green salad.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 261kcal
Equipment
- rolling pin
- Small or medium skillet
- hand held mandolin or food processor filled with a slicer accessory
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- Make your own homemade tart/pie crust OR
- 1 frozen pie dough for pie crust
Tart Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 4 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 medium medium zucchini squash
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 2 ears corn
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
Instructions
Tart Shell
- If using frozen pie dough first thaw it according to the package directions and preheat the oven to 425˚F.If making your own crust, this is the recipe I use. The remaining instructions are for using frozen pie dough.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to eliminate any creases and to fit it into your tart pan. The dough should reach up the sides of the tart pan when tucked into the corners, and end up a little higher than the pan to allow for shrinkage. Pro-tip: As the tart shell bakes, the edges of the crust can shrink a little, and you need them in place to hold the vegetables.
- Dock the dough by puncturing it many times with the tines of a fork. The linked post for making your own crust shows photos of this.
- Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the tart, and line the tart shell with it, tucking it as best you can into the corners. Fill the tart shell with pie weights and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Pro-tip: Docking the dough plus the pie weights and chilling of the dough all help to prevent the dough from shrinking and from lifting up from the pan due to the steam created when baking the shell. You want bottom of the tart shell to stay flat.
- Place the tart pan on a baking tray or sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper. The tart shell should be starting to set. Return it to the oven and bake until the crust is a nice golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
Tart Filling
- While the tart shell bakes, make the tart filling: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small or medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and green onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. Spread across the bottom of the baked crust.
- Sprinkle one half of the grated mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Thinly slice the zucchini and yellow squash using a sharp knife or mandolin. There's no need to peel the vegetables. Arrange the slices on top of the cheese.
- Shuck the ears of corn and lay them on a cutting board. Slice off the kernels using a sharp knife by cutting down the sides of each ear, turning them as needed. Spread the corn kernels over the top of the zucchini and summer squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
- Lower the oven temperature to 400˚F and bake the tart for 20 minutes. Top with the remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the squash is tender. Pro Tip: Squash contains a great deal of moisture. If you bake the tart until the squash is completely limp, the bottom crust will become wet and soggy. This baking time ensures that the squash is cooked, but still al dente, retaining much of it's moisture.
- Spread the mint, basil, and fresh dill over the top of the tart just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.1g | Protein: 11.2g | Fat: 19.2g | Saturated Fat: 9.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31.3mg | Sodium: 725.1mg | Potassium: 346.2mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 3.3g | Vitamin A: 584.4IU | Vitamin C: 19.5mg | Calcium: 232.3mg | Iron: 0.8mg