The other day some friends came over for lunch and I wanted to make something quick and tasty that could be prepared in advance, so that I could spend more time chit chatting with them instead of being busy in the kitchen. I like making all sorts of quiches, which in Italy are called “torte salate” which literally means “savory tarts”. I love the fact that you can make them with pretty much anything you have in your fridge. They are still quiche, but they are a different dish every time. They can also be quite healthy especially if you substitute cream with milk or ricotta (like I did). They are a fantastic quick lunch or picnic idea. This is what I came up with for my friends.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
300 gms ricotta
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, thinly grated
Salt
Pepper
1 pinch nutmeg, grated
Slice the onion and the zucchini (to thinly slice the zucchini I use a potato peeler) and put them in a frying pan with the extra virgin olive oil.
Let them cook on a medium fire until soft. Season with salt and pepper and let it cool down.
In the meantime, put the puff pastry in an oven dish lined with baking paper. Keep a piece of puff pastry aside so that it can be cut into strips to be put on the top as decoration.
Put the egg, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cooked zucchini in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture onto the puff pastry and flatten it out with a spoon.
Gently press the sides of the pastry with a fork to create a border and add the strips of pastry on the top to decorate the quiche. Brush the pastry with egg wash (optional).
Bake in a preheated fan forced oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
Before slicing it, let the quiche cool down. This will prevent it from crumbling. Serve at room temperature with a simple green salad on the side.
This is so pretty. I love any dish that can be prepared in advance. It’s so handy to have an arsenal of those dishes. Thank you for sharing and for the step by step photos. So helpful in the creation. 🙂
This is absolutely one of my favorite quiches: I love zucchini and I love ricotta, so.. I can’t help myself: I love this!
Actually, I love pretty much every quiches on the planet… 🙂
What a great idea to use ricotta! I bet it gave the quiche such a nice, delicate texture! And very pretty lattice top!
Manu, this not only looks beautiful but delicious, too. I wish I’d seen this earlier; this week was trying to multitask…. with ricotta, pinenuts and wanted to stuff courgettes. Lovely combo but totally messed it up since forgot to time the courgettes and instead of steaming them they got a real Hammam! Courgette mush. Oh dear. Thank you for sharing yet another fabulous recipe with us.
Manu, this is so beautiful, and very tasty looking! I am loving this kind of savory pies, or tarts..this is very very delicious!!!! Photos and presentation..ahh just fantastic!!!
Bellissimo cara mia!!!
This looks super tasty
I love your pictures too..:)
love it. I have never used zucchini in a quiche before. what a great idea. I also never make quiche so beautiful like you do, I just mix every thing and put in the oven. Yours looks so professional and almost like a pie. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful meal. 🙂
Wow! This looks great! 😀
Looks like there’re lots of baking recipes awaiting for me to try out! But I need to get an oven 1st! LOL
Oh delicious! I like that you tried to prepare everything before guests come over so that you can spend time with them. It’s quite hard to talk and socialize if you end up in the kitchen. I need to work on that skills more. I sometimes find it very difficult for Japanese cooking since everything has to be warm, but we don’t use oven to cook. I’ll keep this recipe for some get-together menu! Thanks for sharing it!
That is one gorgeous looking quiche 🙂 u making me crave for it dear ..
The quiche is very tempting and you have shown the recipe in a stepwise manner, which makes it easy to follow the instructions for people like me who are making a quiche for the first time! I love feeding vegetables to my picky-eater family, so always find new ways to do so. That is why, the addition of zucchini in this makes me happy! Thanks for sharing this recipe. You have a great blog!
This looks so delicious. I love making tarts like this from all the stuff in the fridge 🙂
Ooh I love that it uses puff pastry, thats so smart! (And delish) I love the look that the pastry on top creates too.
It’s always nice to be able to spend time chit chatting with your guests…that’s why I love scrumptious food that can be prepared ahead of time. Your zucchini and ricotta quiche definitely falls under that category!
I love quiches, and this one looks fabulous, Manu. You have done a fantastic job with it, and I love that it can be made in advance too… Thank you for sharing this 🙂 I think I will give it a shot sometime soon with the 2 HUGE zucchinis I have sitting in my fridge! 🙂
I love quiche and ricotta in anything is amazing! I love how you made the quiche in a rectangular pan (I always use a pie or tart pan) and with a lattice-type top. Can’t wait to try this.
This looks absolutely lovely Manu. The ribbons of zucchini look so pretty even before the quiche is cooked and the strips of pastry really add an elegant touch.
That’s such a cool quiche! Awesome use of zucchini. I bet your friends devoured it!
No Indian wedding!? You got cheated, my friend. I think you need a ‘do over’ 🙂 At least, that’s what I would tell MY husband because let me tell you, the wedding I went to was SO much fun!
I know, tell me about it!!! Maybe for our 10th anniversary… which is not even too far… ahhhh, now I feel old!!! Hehehehe
Quiche is the best. I love how you did the lattice top over this. Beautiful!!
Wow, this quiche looks delicious, love the puff pastry and the filling using zucchini and ricotta cheese. Beautifully done. Hope you are having a great week 🙂
Manu, this looks simply delicious! And such a gorgeous presentation with the lattice crust. I hope you saved me a slice 🙂
I love this quiche. I’ve made it several times now and am making it again tonight for some friends. It’s the prefect recipe, easy and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
I have made this several times and it is always a big hit. Made it again tonight and added spinach and it turned out fabulous. Thanks so much for sharing such an easy, simple and delicious recipe
I am so glad you like it! I love it with spinach too! You can make it with almost any vegetable you have! 🙂