Zucchini and Tomato Tartlets With a Cheddar Crust

By Melissa Clark

Total Time: 1½ hours plus chilling time
Rating: 4(305)
Notes: Read community notes

These individual tartlets have a Cheddar-spiked, buttery crust holding a filling of honey-drizzled roasted vegetables and creamy ricotta. You can use any roasted vegetables here, changing up the mix to suit the seasons. Late summer is perfect for some combination of zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and even corn. Then try the likes of winter squash, brussels sprouts and mushrooms in fall; cabbage, onions and other root vegetables in winter, and sautéed greens and asparagus in spring.

If you’re planning ahead, you can make the dough up to five days in advance and roast the vegetables the day before (store them in the refrigerator). But do try to bake these on the same day as serving. They are at their best still warm.

Featured in: Roasted Summer Vegetables Tucked Into Tartlets

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

For the Crust

1½cups/170 grams all-purpose flour
½cup/65 grams whole wheat flour
½teaspoon fine sea salt
1½sticks/12 tablespoons/170 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾cup/55 grams sharp Cheddar, grated
1large egg, whisked

For the Filling

3medium zucchini, about 2 pounds, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
2cups halved cherry tomatoes
2½tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
¾teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
⅛teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½tablespoons hot honey (see note), more for drizzling if you like
1tablespoon tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar
¾cup fresh ricotta
1large egg
3tablespoons chopped chives
1small garlic clove, grated
⅛teaspoon black pepper

For the Topping

2 to 3tablespoons heavy cream or milk, for brushing the tops
6tablespoons finely grated Cheddar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flours and salt. Pulse in butter and Cheddar until mixture resembles chickpeas. Drizzle in whisked egg and ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 6 tablespoons, pulsing occasionally until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Step 2
While dough chills, prepare the filling. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and tomatoes with rosemary, salt, red pepper and olive oil; spread mixture out into one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Stir honey and vinegar into the hot vegetables, then let cool completely.
Step 3
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray or use a nonstick muffin pan. Roll out dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle, trimming any rough edges. Cut into a dozen 4-by-4-inch pieces and gently press each piece into the holes of the muffin tin, leaving the 4 corners hanging over the edges. Chill dough for at least another 15 minutes.
Step 4
In a small bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, chives and garlic. Season with a large pinch each of salt and black pepper.
Step 5
Divide ricotta mixture into the bottom of each tart, using about 1 tablespoon each. Top with the roasted vegetables. Fold edges of crust over filling. Brush tops of tarts with cream or milk and sprinkle with cheese. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle tarts with a little honey (about ½ teaspoon per tartlet) if you like. Cool slightly before serving.

Tip

if you don’t have hot honey, such as Mike’s, substitute regular honey mixed with a pinch or two of cayenne.

Ratings

4 out of 5

305 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Jean6 years ago

What temp do you cook the tartlets at? I can't find that anywhere.

Hazel6 years ago

Could this be made with puff pastry (from the freezer section of the grocery store)?

Clara6 years ago

Can I please ask that you guys take into consideration your international audience and put quantities in weights (preferable grammes but I'm happy to convert ounces!) Not all the world gets butter in sticks and measuring cold butter (ESPECIALLY!) in tablespoons is just ridiculous. This isn't the only Melissa Clark recipe I've mentioned this on; the other one is the Marmalade Cake recipe. At least in that case the butter has to be soft ...

Megs6 years ago

To answer the temperature question, I started the tarts at 425F for 10 minutes, and lowered to 375F for 25 minutes. Cooked perfectly!

Fillings I did were: tomato, zucchini and pepper; kabocha squash, mushroom and onion (with thyme)

Definitely delicious!

Gayle6 years ago

Agreed. The temp of 425 is for roasting the vegetables. That seems a bit high for baking the tarts.

hl6 years ago

Ah, but "the law" in the US says tomatoes are indeed vegetables: "Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that, under U.S. customs regulations, the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit."

Lisa6 years ago

Baking the tartlets at 425 was unfortunately a disaster. The cheeses bubbled away into an oily mess. Dang, I should have read the comments here. Maybe 350?

Elaine6 years ago

I'm going to use Cresent rolls.

Martha6 years ago

Could I use same amount of all purpose flour in place of whole wheat?

Cathy6 years ago

They are not mutually exclusive. "Fruit" is a botanical classification. "Vegetable" is a dietary classification. Zucchini are fruits that are vegetables.

JessFSC6 years ago

Can these be frozen before baking? Would love to prepare these for make-ahead dinner parties in the winter, with the last of the summer produce...

Carol Sacks6 years ago

HUGE hit with my family. Roasting the veggies gives them so much flavor. The pastry is light in feel but has great savory flavor. The recipe works very well; wouldn't change a thing.

cheryllk6 years ago

425 to bake these tarts for that long seems very high. Could Ms. Clark confirm that, please, before I invest the time and money and garden produce in what reads like a pleasing treat as well as zucchini relief? Also, there are 12 tarts but 8 servings? Shall I invite 4 more people to brunch?

Julie6 years ago

These tartlets were exceptional. Baked them as directed. 25 minutes at 425. They were indeed "bubbling and golden." Prepared the crust & roasted the veggies the day before. Now, if I could only figure out how to roll out a disc into anything that resembles a rectangle.

Michelle6 years ago

Whole wheat flour is hygroscopic (requires more liquid to soften), so you would need to adjust the liquid in the dough recipe. If you use a soft whole wheat flour you won't really notice any flavor difference.

Kyle9 months ago

Have made these many times. Always a big hit! A fair amount of work but they are special. I rarely use the vinegar or hot honey but it’s nice with those touches too. The dough does exude a fair amount of fat when cooking and things get sizzling in the pan but it never burns for me and just makes the crust crispier.

Bmo080911 months ago

Made this in my new tart pan and not only was it delish, but nice presentation. Such a versatile dish, I'll be doing this one again.

Barbara Aschenbrenner1 year ago

Lots of subs due to what I had on hand, but delicious, and I think fits the intention of the original recipe. I subbed in puff pastry sprinkled with cheddar, mixed Italian seasoning, 2 smallish zucchini (about 12 ounces) plus 1 large bell pepper, whipped cottage cheese for ricotta, and scallions for chives. I cut the zucchini in larger pieces, and sautéed them just enough to brown but still retain texture. Yummy!

Jeff Phillips1 year ago

Isn’t the amount of zucchini 1 lb? I’ve got 6 zucchini on the scale at the store, and it’s only 1 pound, nowhere near 2!

Margo Rogers1 year ago

I have made these tartlets 3 times. They are both rich and flavorful. The first time, I baked them in a muffin tin as instructed. They were good, but so rich, I could barely finish 1. Next, I made them in a mini-muffin pan. Definitely a better size and a beautiful appetizer. Last, I ditched the pie crust and used mini phyllo cups instead. Of the 3, I liked the phyllo cup version the best. Besides being easier, I really loved the added crunch from the phyllo.

Margo Rogers1 year ago

This was an amazing recipe. Labor intensive, yes; but well worth the effort. One thing to note, they are still a good size, and very rich. I think that I'd like to try them as an appetizer, using my mini-muffin tin.

amy1 year ago

I used whipped goat cheese instead of ricotta because it’s all I had. Baked at 350 for 25 minutes. Otherwise did everything exactly the same. So good. Highly recommend.

Kimmi3 years ago

I definitely struggled with the dough - might be because my apartment is hot and I maybe added too much ice water/egg making the dough too moist. I also did not have enough dough to fold the edges over, so did an open tart. I listened to what others said, and baked them for 15 min at 425 without filling, and then added the filling and baked at 350 for 15 more min to avoid soggy crust, which worked well. Next time I'd add more cheddar to the crust, and use less vinegar.

Alan Metzger3 years ago

A great deal of time for a good but only good dish. Cooked them at 425 for 25 minutes and of the dozen baked, 4 were too soggy on the bottom to retain their shape.

Rachel3 years ago

I have heirloom tomatoes rather than cherry tomatoes. They are obviously juicier. Do you think I could salt / drain them and use them in place of the cherry tomatoes in this recipe?

Monika4 years ago

Anyone ever tried this in mini muffin pans? I made the full-size tartlets which were wonderful, followed recipe exactly. Thinking I might want bite-size tartlets for a brunch I'm hosting, I've noticed my guests will steer clear of larger items and go for the smaller appetizers instead. If you have tried them as minis, any suggestions on cooking times? Thanks in advance.

Robin Weintraub5 years ago

Question, I realize this changes everything completely. BUT, can I get help making this without crust. I like the idea of the ricotta and would like to make this as an egg casserole with the veggies roasted, also with the ricotta and the cheddar. I would appreciate suggestions. Thanks! Robin

Ann B1 year ago

You just need a nice little casserole dish -- if you have one with a lid, I'd experiment baking this with and without the lid. Lid on for a shortish time so that the eggs are just set and still tender and the cheese doesn't overcook; lid off to crisp the edges of the cheese if you use something substantial. You could do a batch with the lid on the whole cook time and another batch with no lid, and another batch where you switch it up. Oil the dish before adding the eggs, cheese, and vegetables.

Melanie O5 years ago

When converting TBS measures of butter, measure by the cup; as in 1/4 cup equals 4 TBS. 1 cup is 16 TBS.

Maddie5 years ago

These were delicious! I used large muffin tins and made 6 tarts. I was afraid of soggy bottoms so I baked the crusts first for about 15 minutes, then filled the tarts and finished baking for another 15 minutes. I like the idea of starting at 425 and then reducing to 375. The hot honey was a delightful surprise. Great way to use zucchini and tomatoes from the garden.

Catherine5 years ago

Made this as a galette with TJ's frozen pie crust. Saved a BUNCH of time, and still quite delicious.

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