Squash Ribbon Puff Pastry Tart

This showcase for the bounty of the summer garden is easy to make because you use purchased puff pastry. If you have time, arrange the squash slices into an eye-catching pattern. For example, if you cut the squashes lengthwise, as we’ve done here, you can weave them into a lattice. Or, you can thinly cut the squash crosswise and make an overlapping scalloped pattern with the various-size rounds. In both cases, a mandoline is the ideal tool to achieve thin, uniform slices.

 

Squash Ribbon Puff Pastry Tart

 

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1 large egg

2 Tbs. heavy cream

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh mint

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

All-purpose flour for dusting

1 sheet puff pastry, about 1/2 lb., thawed according to package directions if frozen

1 large zucchini and 1 large crookneck squash, trimmed and very thinly sliced lengthwise with a mandoline or vegetable peeler

1 tsp. olive oil

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the mascarpone, egg, cream, mint, thyme and a little salt and pepper and stir until well mixed. Set aside.

 

One a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a border about 3/4 inch in from the edge all the way around the pastry sheet, piercing only the top few layers. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the pastry inside the border, then arrange the squash slices diagonally across the tart. Brush the squash slices and the pastry edges with the olive oil.

 

Bake the tart for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Continue to bake until the cheese is melted and the pastry is golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Fresh take: You can also top this tart with eggplant and feta instead. Salt the eggplant slices, let them stand in a colander for 15 minutes or so, then blot off the released water before using. Because the feta is chunkier, give it a whirl in a mini food processor with the Parmesan, egg and cream, then stir in the herbs and seasonings before spreading it on the pastry.