Courgette Tart with Lemon Ricotta

This is called a courgette tart, and not a zucchini tart, only because the term “courgette” covers both summer squash and zucchini – I’m not trying to be fancy here! Just ~efficient~ with how I explain this, because this tart is beautiful, but only because it combines the gorgeous colors of both zucchini and summer squash in perfect lil’ concentric circles.

And yes, this tart looks complicated, but I promise it is so simple. That’s what I love about tarts or savory pies, whether you are entertaining or baking for fun, you just assemble, mix, chill and then bake. There’s no outside cooking in this recipe other than baking the pie dough. I made it very intentional so that you wouldn’t be pulling out any extra pans to fry some thyme or make a lemon ricotta cream. Everything here is cut, roll, mix and bake. We are keeping it artistic, but easy with this one. So read on for more info about how to make this courgette tart the perfect party dish!

The recipe for this pie crust

This recipe starts with the crust. And for that I have a fool-proof recipe, which you can find linked here.

This pie crust has always served me well. It just uses a cup of flour, a stick of butter and a bit of water, and always comes out perfectly flakey and ready to use. As with any pie crust, the longer you can chill it before you use it, the better. But if you’re in a pinch, you can make this pie crust day-of and use it in this courgette tart.

Ingredients you will need for this courgette tart recipe

• 1 recipe all-butter pie crust, linked here!
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon, for zest and juice
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 large zucchinis or courgettes, a mix of green and yellow
• Olive oil as needed
• Salt & fresh cracked black pepper as needed

How to prepare the lemon ricotta cream with thyme

Once you have everything squared away with your tart crust, the ricotta cream is easy to assemble. I didn’t want the filling to require any cooking, so you just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, and you’re done!

Just remember to taste and season everything as you make this zucchini tart, because the layers of flavor will matter when everything comes together.

How to slice the courgettes/zucchinis/summer squashes

This is where your knife work or a mandolin comes in. The thinner the slices of these zucchinis & summer squashes, the easier it will be to assemble the tart.

I like to use a mandolin to make long, thin strips, about 2-3 mm in thickness. You can also use a knife if that’s all you have, but I’ve found a mandolin is best. Once the courgettes look like the picture below, then slice them in half down the center, creating two long strips you can layer in the courgette tart.

How to prepare this courgette tart crust

Here we are blind-baking or par-baking the crust. This means baking it empty, before adding the filling. This makes sure the bottom of the crust is crispy when the tart is done, even though the ricotta might try to get in the way.

To do this, I like to weigh down my courgette tart dough with beans or marbles (see image below), but in a pinch, I’ve been able to get away with just baking it naked. It’s not something I recommend, but if it’s the only thing you can do – it’s not the end of the world 😉

Assembling and baking this zucchini tart recipe

Now this is a lot of information, so here is the order I suggest doing everything as you make your courgette tart:

• Remove your pie crust from the fridge. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until is is about 0.5 cm thick. Transfer this to your tart pan, trim the edges, but leave about 0.5 cm of crust over the top of the edges, because the crust will shrink. Chill the in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a small bowl, grate in the zest from the lemon and the three garlic cloves. Add in the ricotta, honey, red pepper flakes, and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Cut the tops off of the courgettes and use a mandolin to thinly slice them into long strips. Then cut those strips in half down the middle, giving you two even slices to layer in the tart. Set these in a large bowl and toss with just a pinch of salt and pepper.
• In another small bowl, whisk together a healthy glug of olive oil and the juice from one lemon. Add the remaining thyme leaves and set this aside.

• Remove the crust from the fridge and top it with a sheet of parchment paper. Add in your baking beans or marbles to weigh the crust down (you can also skip this if you don’t have baking beans and just bake without weighing down the tart dough, it’s just an extra helpful trick!). Put the crust in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes at 375°F.
• When the tart shell is halfway baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then spread the ricotta on the bottom of the tart. Layer in the zucchini slices with the skin side up, doing it in concentric circles (see blog image for reference).
• Once the courgettes are layered to your liking, brush with the lemon juice and olive oil mixture, sprinkle with more salt, pepper and thyme leaves as you see fit, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 375°F.
• The tart will be ready when the crust is a deep golden brown and the courgettes have shrunken slightly and darkened on the tops. Let cool for a few minutes before serving!

Looking for other similar tarts and bakes?

I do love a pie crust moment – here are a few others you can try from the blog!

And that’s everything for this savory courgette tart with lemon ricotta cream!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3