Spiralized Zucchini Tart with Gruyère
Many cooks love to use their spiralizer to create zucchini noodles, or “zoodles,” for a fresh and healthy pasta alternative. That’s a great idea, but there are so many more options for preparing this abundant summer vegetable with a spiralizer. Here, we use the flat blade (called a straight blade on some models) to create gorgeous wide ribbons that dress up a fresh summery tart. For the prettiest tart, use a mixture of green zucchini and yellow straightneck squash.
Ingredients:
- 3 zucchini, or a combination of zucchini and yellow summer squash
- 1 batch basic pie dough
- 2 cups (1/2 lb./250 g) grated Gruyère cheese
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs. water
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Trim the ends of the zucchini and, using a spiralizer fitted with the flat blade, cut the zucchini into ribbon-like strands. Set aside.
Roll out the pie dough into a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches (30 by 45 cm) and 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch (5-cm) border of dough uncovered along the edge. Sprinkle the lemon zest, thyme and red pepper flakes evenly over the cheese. Arrange the zucchini strands in a single layer over the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the zucchini, pleating the dough loosely and leaving the tart uncovered in the center.
Brush the dough with the egg wash and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake the tart until the crust is golden brown and the zucchini is tender, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen