Has your tart pan been lonely? Have you not spent enough time with it? Maybe it’s time you did and here’s a perfect way for you and your tart pan to get back on track. Zucchini is the main focus of this zucchini and corn tart, but there’s a hidden layer of tomato sauce at the bottom which gives this tart such a nice zing of savory satisfaction. It only takes a few minutes to whip that layer up and it more than delivers on your time spent. Of course, if you are in a pinch, you could use some of your favorite jarred tomato sauce instead.
For the best results, make sure you slice the zucchini evenly. I like to use a mandolin slicer for this task – it’s much faster and the resulting slices are 100% evenly sliced. It might feel a little odd to do so, but tossing your perfect slices of zucchini with cheese, egg and milk is the best way to make sure every slice of zucchini is coated evenly.
I recommend putting your tart pan on a baking sheet (or at least placing a baking sheet on the rack below the tart) and in fact, I recommend doing this any time you are using a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan. You never know when butter or egg or juices from foods will seep out through the bottom of the pan. (More often than not, if you put the baking sheet below the tart pan, you won’t have any spill at all, but I’d much rather put away a clean baking sheet than clean my oven.)
You can serve this tart hot or cold. I like it best somewhere in between the two, plus letting it cool for just a little while lets the tart set up a little and that makes it easier to slice.
Absolutely delicious. I made one error and that was to try to bake it in a spring form pan. (I have a tart pan with removable bottom in MA, but we’re at our Maine house and I refuse to buy another one!). Still …. it came out just fine – just not as elegantly as if would have in the proper pan. I plan to make this again! Many thanks
Has anyone done this with phillo dough? I am thinking squares of buttered dough, put in muffin tin, put mixture on top and cook. I think this would be great for a church pot luck. And then I thought of puff pastry, cutting a rectangle, build it up a little on the edges and putting mixture in the middle, maybe with some crab meat mixed in? Thanks again!!!
It all starts with the obvious: big fat green summer zucchini. NO EXPLANATION NEEDED says the whole zucchini-growing world. I think I m almost almost allllmost ready to break up with these big summer greenies, but it s that kind of pre-break-up fling where you can t not go back for just one more cheesy slice or puffy muffin or lasagna square or dare I even mention coff-ee-cake even though you know it s probably in everyone s best interest for you to call it quits on the relationship. It s complicated, okay?
can this be made without eggs and if so what is a good substitute? Thank you
Hi there. If you don’t want to use the egg, just leave it out. It helps to bind everything together, making it easier to slice, but you can cook the zucchini, corn, tomato and pastry without it.
Hi Meredith. I have made this tart a few times now and it is delicious. After making the first time, my husband actually requested it. Definitely a winner and not difficult to make.
OMG DELISH !! I just made this for a tea party, and not only was it soooo easy to make, it was ridiculously delicious !! Everyone thought it was made at some fancy schmancy bake shoppe, or that it took forever to make!
Thanks!
Meredith , what is your suggestion using our fresh heirloom tomatoes instead of canned? I planned to blanch and peel , then what would be my next step?
After blanching and peeling the tomatoes, you can dice them and follow the recipe. While the sauce simmers you can crush them with a spoon or potato masher to thin out the sauce.
Hi Meredith. Looks like a great recipe but I don’t have a tart pan. Could I use a 10″ pie pan instead?
Hi Helen, yes you could use a 10” pie pan for this recipe. You might have to pile the zucchini up a little higher in a pie pan and cook it a few more minutes, but it should work fine. You would not be able to unmold it like a tart pan but you could serve it from the dish.
Made a nice homemade dough, used a very good San Marzan tomato using my hands to break it up. The sweet tomato sauce with the zucchini and corn was fabulous. I used the egg snd will do so again. It was so flavorful, bright and quite decadent. Cannot wait to make this again. One of my very favorite recipes Chef. Thank you 🙌 I worried it might be watery due to the zucchini but not at all.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious !
I had two zucchini from the Farmers market and I never know what to do with them. I am not a great cook, used a pastry shell, frozen corn, jar sauce, didn’t have fontina cheese so I used mozzarella and parmesan it still came out great. My husband loved it Thank you Meredith. Next time I will use fresh corn and get the fontina.
Wanted to leave a comment as I have now made several times and plan to keep on my list. Was excellent.
Made this as one of the menu items for my vegetarian daughter’s birthday brunch. Lots of compliments on the tart.
Second time I made this I used a small jar of tomato pesto in place of cooking the tomato sauce layer. I’ll probably do it this way again in future to save time , was tasty.
This is absolutely delicious. We will keep it in rotation.
I just made this and it is gorgeous! Still cooling so haven’t take a bite but it smells amazing! Wish I could post a picture because it is beautiful!