Vegetable spiral tart

Recipe by: Michelle Darmody

For an impressive weekend treat, try this gently spiced cheese and veggie bake encased in buttery, homemade pastry

Vegetable spiral tart

SERVES

4

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

20

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

105

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • For the pastry:

  • 225g plain flour

  • 1 pinch of salt

  • 100g butter, chilled and cubed

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  • For the filling:

  • 230g Mascarpone cheese

  • 100g Cheddar cheese, finely grated

  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto

  • handful of parsley, finely chopped

  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1 small yellow courgette

  • 1 small green courgette

  • 1 medium, long sweet potato, peeled

  • 1 very small, long aubergine

Method

  1. Mix the flour and salt and rub in the cubes of cold butter. Rub the butter quickly until it forms what looks like rough breadcrumbs. You do not want to handle this too much. Add the egg and bring together with your hand as quickly as you can. If you have a mixer you can use this by pulsing the ingredients until a pastry is formed.

  2. Put the pastry on some clingfilm or baking parchment and wrap it up. Place it in the fridge for at least an hour before using it.

  3. After the hour preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 12inch fluted tart case.

  4. On a lightly floured surface roll the pastry so that each circle is a little larger than the tart case. Gently press the disc of pastry into the case. Press it slightly with your hand but do not force it. Bake your case blind for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 5 minutes more until the pastry is golden. Gently trim any excess pastry that is sticking above the case with a very sharp knife so that the edge of the crust is neat. Allow to cool completely in the tin.

  5. Meanwhile mix the Mascarpone, cheddar, pesto, parsley and nutmeg until well combined, set aside.

  6. Carefully slice the courgettes, sweet potato, aubergine with a potato peeler or mandolin. Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer and steam for five minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and steam for another five minutes. I use a three tier steamer for this. Set aside to cool.

  7. Spread the cheese mixture onto the base. Make stacks using one of each of the four vegetables. Roll the first stack into a circle for the centre of the tart. Wrap another stack around this then spiral the rest of the stacks out from the centre. Continue until the tart is full and you have created a rose effect.

  8. Bake for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before placing onto a large serving plate.

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