Rustic Zucchini, Tomato and Pesto Tart

After making that crudités platter last week, I still had hella veggies leftover – which really is no problem at all, but finding something to do with them can be a little tricky sometimes. I had already had giant salads the next two days, and been throwing veggies into literally everything I could, so coming up with something new was definitely needed.

I knew that I had TONS of fresh basil and plenty of olive oil, so I decided to make a big batch of pesto to have in the fridge to throw in some pasta or a grilled cheese… but then I remembered I had puff pastry in the freezer!

*gasp* I know, I know. I’m a huge cheater for buying pre-made pastry, but baking and dough really are not my strong suits. I’m not one to follow recipes exactly, and I can’t be trusted to not make substitutions on a whim. So baking and I typically aren’t very good friends.

Anyway… back to the tart! All you have to do is put the pastry on a sheet pan (or a cast iron skillet like me because tbh I’m just in love with it,) slap some pesto on it, top it with sliced tomato and zucchini, sprinkle some feta, and bake the sucker. One of the best things is that since it’s ‘rustic” you really can just crimp the edges haphazardly and you’ll be just fine. If I can pull off something with pastry, then anyone can. Trust.

Fresh summer veggies, tender and flaky pastry, and creamy feta – what else could you ever want?

I STILL had a ton of leftover basil after making the pesto

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry – or fresh if you’re some kind of patisserie goddess
• 1/4 – 1/2c. pesto, fresh or store bought is fine
• 1/2 large zucchini, sliced thin
• Flake sea salt, such as Maldon
• 6-8 heirloom cherry tomatoes, or big one if you have them (I only had the little babies)
• 1/4c. feta
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat oven to 400°

Remove puff pastry from freezer and set out at room temperature to thaw for roughly 20 minutes. It needs to be cold to the touch, but not too soft that it’s easily dented if pressed.

1. While dough is thawing, place zucchini and tomato slices on a sheet pan and sprinkle evenly with salt to draw out moisture and season at the same time. Leave them until your puff pastry is ready, and then gently pat off moisture with a paper towel.
2. Remove any plastic packaging or parchment from thawed pastry, and gently roll it out so it’s flat. Lay a skillet, lid, or other round object that is roughly the size of the tart you want to make in the center of the dough and cut with a sharp paring knife. If you’re using a tart pan, sheet pan, or something else, you can use that to cut to the right size.
3. After cutting, place puff pastry firmly onto the bottom of your pan, and take any excess dough and crimp it around the edges to form a brim, taking care to seal it to the dough on the bottom.
4. Spread pesto on the pastry, and then layer the zucchini and tomato on top. Sprinkle with feta and red pepper if desired.
5. Bake until crust is golden brown and is crisp on the bottom, 25-30 minutes.

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