Rustic tarts are the perfect way to keep the family happy. They are simple to make and delicious too. Here is one of our favourites – the Rustic Pumpkin, Ricotta And Caramelised Onion Tart Recipe.
Serves 8
Makes one 30 cm (12 inch) tart
Preparation time 30 minutes plus cooling time
Cooking time 1 hour 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
750 g (1 lb 10 oz/5 cups) seeded, peeled and chopped into 3 cm (1¼ inch) pieces uncooked pumpkin
olive oil, to coat and drizzle
250 g (9 oz/6¼ cups) English spinach
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz/41⁄3 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
25 g (1 oz/¼ cup) grated parmesan
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) Caramelised Onion (recipe below)
1 quantity Pizza Dough (recipe below)
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tin with baking paper. Toss in the pumpkin cubes with enough oil to lightly coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
2 Sauté the spinach in a frying pan over high heat for 1–2 minutes until wilted, leave to cool, then use your hands to squeeze dry.
3 In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs and salt and pepper. Fold through the pumpkin, spinach and caramelised onions.
4 Line a baking tray with baking paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to 40 cm (16 inches) round and 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.
5 Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared tray. Spread the ricotta mix over the pizza dough leaving a 5 cm (2 inch) border. Gather the edge of the dough and drape back over the filling to create a ruffled look.
6 Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. This is delicious served hot or at room temperature.
Caramelised Onion
Makes about 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups)
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large red or brown onions,
thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
METHOD
1 Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over low heat. Add the onions and salt and cook for 15–20 minutes until softened. Stir frequently to prevent them from browning.
2 When the onion is cooked and lightly golden, stir in the sugar and vinegar. Continue to cook over low heat for a further 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sticky and caramelised.
Pizza Dough
Makes about 1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz)
Preparation time 20 minutes plus 30 minutes proving time for dough
INGREDIENTS
750 g (1 lb 10 oz/5 cups) plain
(all-purpose) flour
40 g (1½ oz) dried yeast
¼ teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
400 ml (14 fl oz) tepid water
2 tablespoons olive oil
METHOD
1 Place the flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the tepid water and oil and mix on low speed until combined. Knead the dough at this speed for approximately 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
2 Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, approximately 30 minutes.
3 Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 30 seconds until the dough is its original size. Shape the dough into a ball, and press lightly to flatten.
Recipes and Images from The Cook & Baker by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa, published by Murdoch Books
