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Savory Zucchini Tart

Our savory Zucchini Tart is scratch made with garden fresh veggies, ham, fresh cream and mozzarella with plenty of seasonings and greens. Baked into a fresh, yeasted pastry dough this recipe makes the perfect light summer dinner or a welcomed addition to a scrumptious brunch table.

In this post we share all of our tips for making delicious, balanced quiche-like zucchini tarts that are not watery or dry and crumbly. You can make one large tart using a pie dish, or a selection of mini tarts with this recipe.

Savory Zucchini Tart

Once our garden harvest begins we love to make all sorts of fresh meals using the veggies as quickly and efficiently as possible. This recipe is perfect if you have extra greens, zucchini, peppers or other veggies lying about that you need to use up. It’s also a great meal to make after you have visited your local farmers market or food co-op.

The beauty of a recipe like this is that it can be very versatile depending on your tastes, dietary needs, or what extras you are needing to get through in your kitchen pantry. We love a ‘loaded’ tart with veggies, fresh dairy and meat but you could easily keep this vegetarian if you prefer.

This recipe makes a delicious and very filling breakfast option and could be prepped the day before if you needed to save time the morning that you plan to enjoy it. Okay, let’s get into this scrumptious tart!

Why is my zucchini watery?

Zucchini is a squash vegetable that naturally contains a lot of water. When you shred zucchini to make ‘zoodles’ or incorporate it into a quiche or tart, you may discover that it creates too much liquid as it cooks down.

The best solution to a watery zucchini recipe is to shred or grate your zucchini on a paper towel and then gently press the zucchini with the paper towel so that it absorbs and extracts the excess liquid. You can also sprinkle salt on your zucchini and let it sit for a while before you press with the paper towel. Salt will help extract even more liquid; but be careful not to add too much salt as it can alter the taste of your recipe.

Fresh Zucchini
This is what me counters look like for about a month when zucchini is in season.

Is a tart crust the same as pie crust?

Although they are used in similar ways and baked in the same pans, there are very distinct differences between tart pastry crusts and traditional pie crusts. Pie crusts are very flaky, light and crumbly; they are made with flour and butter to achieve this well loved flaky texture.

Tart crusts are made using flour, sugar, salt and egg giving it a denser more dough like consistency. Our tart crust also incorporates yeast to add depth of flavor as well as a stronger base for the filling.

Savory Zucchini Tart
Adorable, mini, Savory Zucchini Tarts made from this recipe

Do I need to pre bake my tart crust?

Most recipes will call for pre baking or blind baking your crust. This will prevent the dreaded ‘soggy bottom’ that occurs when the filling and liquids prevent the crust from fully cooking. You want a strong crust with a baked bottom that will not fall apart and will have a pleasant texture in your mouth.

Our recipe does not require you to pre bake. It is a strong tart crust that cooks fully and does not fall apart when you cut and serve it.

What cheese is best in savory tarts?

For this recipe we are using mozzarella and parmesan. We find that these cheese create a pleasant flavor profile with the seasonings that this recipe calls for. You can most definitely play around with the cheeses in this tart and change them out to suite your preferences. Some popular substitutes would be feta or goat cheese, Swiss or sharp cheddars, and gruyere.

Savory Zucchini Tart

What sides go good with savory tarts?

Tarts and quiches make excellent additions to brunch tables and event gatherings. They are light but filling, easy to eat and pair well with an assortment of other foods. Some of our favorites to enjoy with savory tarts include

  • Honey balsamic roasted carrots
  • Fresh seasonal fruit
  • A fresh green salad with a vinaigrette dressing
  • Roasted parmesan artichoke hearts
  • Baked brie with cranberries and walnuts
  • Bacon wrapped sweet potato bites
  • Loaded scalloped potatoes
  • Cinnamon fried apples
  • Steakhouse creamed spinach
  • Baked butternut squash fries

 Savory Zucchini Tart Recipe Notes:

  • The tart pastry will need about 1 hour to rise so be sure to plan for that
  • You can prep your veggies ahead of time by cutting or shredding them if needed
  • Pre baked meats like ham or sausage are best for this recipe
  • Oiling and dusting your tart pan(s) with cornmeal will help the crust release easily
  • You can substitute the zucchini for yellow squash if desired
Savory Zucchini Tart
A lovely filling thick with cheese and veggies, nestled into a yeasty pastry crust.
Italian Green Tart
Yield: 8 servings

Savory Zucchini Tart

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 minute 15 seconds
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes 15 seconds

Savory Zucchini  Tart is full of cheeses, greens and ham. This Tart provides all the food groups in every delicious bite. Make this for a complete, light dinner, or a special contribution for brunch or lunch.

Ingredients

Yeasted Olive Oil Pastry

  • 1 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1/4 tsp. sugar
  • 1/3 Cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 Cup unbleached all purpose flour

Savory green Filling

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 Cup yellow onion, minced
  • 1 Cup ham, chopped
  • 1/2 Cup diced Zucchini (or yellow summer squash)
  • 2 Cups leafy greens (washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped)
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 Cup basil leaves (I used home dried oregano)
  • 1/4 Cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 Cup shredded Mozzarella
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 Cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 Cup grated parmesan

Instructions

PASTRY:

  1. whisk together lightly; the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. whisk in the olive oil, egg and salt.
  3. Gradually beat in 11/2 Cups of flour to make a soft dough. about one minute.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead a FEW times to make a soft, springy dough ball. (use a little flour to keep from sticking)
  5. Place dough into a greased container and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until puffy, about an hour.

While dough is rising, make the filling:

  1. Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute the onion, and zucchini until soft. Add the leafy greens and stir until just wilted. Drain any liquid. Stir in pepper and nutmeg.
  2. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the cheeses, eggs and cream with the cooked filling ingredients. Set aside.
  4. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to a 10 inch round.
  5. Place the dough into a greased and cornmeal dusted tart pan.
  6. spread the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  7. Scrape the filling into the tart pan

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. bake for 35 to 40 minutes; until filling is set and golden brown.
  2. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 431Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 154mgSodium 490mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 13g

Did you make this recipe?

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Cheesy Ham And Zucchini Pie Recipe-Pin Image
Savory Zucchini Tart is full of cheeses, greens and ham. This tart provides all the food groups in every delicious bite. Make this for a complete, light dinner, or a special contribution for brunch or lunch.

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Peggy

Monday 20th of July 2020

What does this mean?????????????

In a separate bowl combine the c Set aside.

Typo maybe???

Thanks for your clarification.

Diane

Monday 20th of July 2020

Hi Peggy, Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. Yes it was a typo. I have updated the recipe for you. Have a great day!

100+ Delicious Zucchini Recipes :: Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Monday 14th of August 2017

[…] Savory Zucchini Tart from Homemade Food Junkie […]

Ange @ Little Kitchen Blue

Sunday 22nd of November 2015

Zuchinni's are so delicious and grow so well. This is the perfect dish if you have an abundant crop.

I would really love to have a vegetable garden but I have 9 black fingers! One green one successfully grows rosemary and nothing else!

homemadefoodjunkie

Sunday 22nd of November 2015

Ange, We do love our garden. Farmers markets and local food co ops are also great places to find excellent local produce. Thank so much for the visit!

April J Harris (@apriljharris)

Monday 21st of September 2015

I loved reading the history of this recipe! Medieval recipes fascinate me and I've never had a yeasted pastry crust! Your Savory Zucchini Tart looks and sounds amazing, Diane. I've featured it at this week's Hearth and Soul Hop.

homemadefoodjunkie

Tuesday 22nd of September 2015

Wow! I really appreciate the feature April. That is very kind of you. I'll look forward to the next great party!

Betsy @ Desserts Required

Sunday 20th of September 2015

With our without the peppers, you have an incredible dish!!!

homemadefoodjunkie

Monday 21st of September 2015

Thank you Betsy!

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