On my quest to use up all of our zucchinis from the garden, I have added this new recipe to the rotation and it just might be my favorite so far! This tart is simple and easy to make, but also makes an impressive appetizer that you can throw together quickly. You can never go wrong with puff pasty (the frozen stuff works great!) and I love the brightness that the lemon gives to the ricotta filling.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
Salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce box), thawed
¾ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-6 fresh basil leaves

Directions

Sprinkle zucchini lightly with salt. Transfer to a colander; drain for 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 425°F.

For ricotta filling, in a medium bowl whisk together ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, 1 tsp. of the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside

Place the puff pastry to a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the puff pastry to about a 12-by-12-inch square (doesn’t have to be perfect, rustic is good!) Transfer the paper with the pastry on it to a baking sheet. With a paring knife or pizza cutter, lightly score a 1-inch border around the edges, taking care not to cut all the way through. Prick the center all over with a fork.

Using a spatula, spread the ricotta mixture over the pastry within the border that you cut. Top the filling with the zucchini rounds. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Bake until the crust is puffed and deep golden brown and the ricotta is set under the zucchini, about 25 minutes. Top with torn pieces of basil leaves. Let cool on a rack at least 10 minutes, then cut into squares.