With December just around the corner, stocking up on ingredients that we can store in the freezer for a little while and have ready on hand when we need something quick and easy to make seems to be a must.
I always have frozen peas and puff pastry in the freezer as there are so many things one can do with them and they never go to waste. I was very happy to try this pea and mozzarella tart, it was very quick to make and very tasty.
This recipe if from a book called – Take One Veg by Georgina Fuggle, I halved all the ingredients except the garlic which I used less of but if you are a garlic lover add as much as you wish. I think that it can easily over power these ingredients in this tart.
The only thing I had to change was to add some ricotta to my mushed up peas as the amount is very small they were not really mushing up. However if you are doubling the recipe you do not need to add the ricotta when blitzing the peas but rather mix the blitz up peas quickly with the ricotta.
In order for your pastry not to rise too much a second baking tray is place on top of the puff pastry and act as a weight while the pastry is cooking.
Instead of having a side salad, add some lovely fresh watercress over the top of the tart.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
(Recipe adapted slightly from Georgina Fuggle – Take One Veg).
Quick Mozzarella and Pea Tart
Ingredients
- 230 g ready made puff pastry
- 100 g frozen peas defrosted
- 1 small garlic clove
- 100 g mozzarella
- 125 g ricotta
- 1/2 egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 lemon zest
- watercress to garnish
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Roll out your pastry onto some baking paper (I use the paper that my puff pastry comes with) and place it onto a baking tray, then place another baking tray on top of the pastry and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
- With a stick blender, quickly blitz 1/2 the peas, garlic, 1 tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of ricotta (the texture must still be rough).
- In a small bowl mix the ricotta and egg together with some pepper and salt then add the blitz peas and give a quick mix.
- Dollop the mixture over the tart base, tear up the mozzarella and place it on the tart with the remaining whole peas, season with a bit of fresh black pepper and then place it back in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, add the watercress over the top with the lemon zest and serve immediately.