This tomato-eggplant ricotta tart is another one of those recipes that I kept meaning to post all summer. Here it is September and I’m sure you’re thinking that it’s too late for ripe tomatoes and eggplant from the garden. Here in Zone 7, I see that pretty much all of my neighbors have cleaned out their gardens. Sure, mine looks pretty raggedy but I’m still harvesting plenty of ripe vegetables every day.
So on to the recipe. There’s one very clear flaw in my pictures for this recipe: the finished tart is not the same tart that I took in-process pictures of. I could go back and make this again just to take better pictures, but here’s the thing: I don’t like fresh basil. Right now I’m alone in quarantine, so if I make it again to take pictures, I wouldn’t want to add the basil. And since I want to include the basil in this recipe, I’m sticking with the pictures I have.
Also, please do yourself a favor and follow the directions when it says to peel the eggplant and tomatoes. I almost never peel eggplant because I love it when the skin gets crispy and burnt. But if you leave the peel on your eggplant and tomatoes here, it’s going to be this weird stringy mess that you just can’t cut into right.
Tomato-Eggplant Ricotta Tart
- 1 pie crust
- 1 eggplant
- two large tomatoes
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1 cup shredded gruyere
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- A handful of whole basil leaves and 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Next, grease a pie pan and line with your pie crust. I used store-bought vegetarian crust, but if you want to make your own pie crust, knock yourself out. Prick the bottom with a fork a few times and throw in some pie weights. Bake until it starts to turn a light golden color, about 5-10 minutes.
While the pie crust is pre-baking, make your ricotta filling. Combine the ricotta, gruyere, egg, salt, 1/4 cup chopped basil, and chopped oregano and give it a good stir.
Once the crust is out of the oven, line the bottom with your pre-cooked eggplant slices.
Add the ricotta mixture.
Slice your peeled tomatoes and arrange on top of the ricotta mixture.
Tuck in the remaining basil leaves.
It’s a good idea to use aluminum foil here to cover the exposed portion of your crust. Otherwise, it’s likely that it will burn. Bake 40-50 minutes, until a probe thermometer reads 165F in the center.
That’s it!
