How to make a tomato and basil ricotta tart

The tart is one of the ultimate picnic foods, and it only needs a few simple ingredients to be delicious

Tomato and basil ricotta tart

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 40 minutes

A great picnic recipe, you can use courgette instead of tomato if you want to change things up.

1 roll of filo or puff pastry 
4 tbsp of olive oil
​250g ricotta cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for topping
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper, to taste
​300g mixed tomatoes (baby, plum, heritage), sliced into 2cm thick slices 

Heat oven to 180C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If using filo pastry, lay 1 sheet of filo pastry on parchment paper. Brush lightly with olive oil. Top with another sheet of filo; brush lightly with oil. Repeat until all filo sheets are stacked. Otherwise roll out the puff pastry to fit the tray.

Lay a piece of baking paper over the top of the pastry, and line with baking beans or rice to blind bake the pastry (as the filling is quite wet). Bake for 20-25 minutes. Make the filling while the pastry is cooking. Slice the tomatoes, cutting out any extra seeds in the big tomatoes to reduce liquid. Sprinkle with a little salt and let rest.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, basil, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Once the pastry is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then spread the ricotta mixture over the top of the pastry, leaving a 1in border along the edges. Drain the excess liquid from the tomatoes and place them on top of the ricotta. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes until the dough is golden brown and flaky.

Cool the tart slightly; top with more chopped basil and chives, salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For a dairy free option, make a tomato-sauce base and mix in some sun-dried tomatoes and paprika – just as delicious!

Recipe by Alice Fotheringham from Piccolo Foods