New York Times recipe: Carrot tart with ricotta and feta

If you have some slightly sweet vegetables at your disposal — not just carrots, but onions, parsnips, beets or pumpkin — this is the recipe for you. It places them on a bed of creamy ricotta and briny feta supported by flaky puff pastry. The one big tip: don’t forget to cook your veggies first. Raw vegetables release liquid that can weigh down your otherwise crisp-crunchy puff pastry and take away from its charm.

Ingredients

Flour, for rolling out dough

400g package frozen puff pastry, thawed

450g multi-coloured carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise into 6-7mm thick pieces

¾ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Sea salt flakes (or kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

225g ricotta

115g feta, crumbled

1 garlic clove, grated

Chopped fresh parsley, chervil or chives, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1 Heat oven to 220C. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 25 x 35cm rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about 6mm away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the centre. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Step 2 Meanwhile, toss carrots with ¾ tbsp oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15-20 minutes.

Step 3 While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4 Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

Step 5 Drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Serves 8

Total time: 1 hour

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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