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Tarta de zapallitos
Tarta de zapallitos: Argentine shortcrust tart of courgette, onion, egg and cheese, sliced cold for lunch
In Buenos Aires every rotisería sells tartas by the slice, and at home a tarta de zapallitos is baked on Sunday evening so that a wedge can go into the vianda (packed lunch) for school and work all week. Zapallitos are round green courgettes; ordinary courgettes work just as well. The common mistake is adding the courgette raw, which floods the pastry; sauté it until the liquid has cooked away. Argentine queso rallado and many hard cheeses are made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese. Chef's tip: bake the tart on a preheated baking tray so the base crisps before the filling soaks in.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 8 oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 3 ⅞ oz cold butterdiced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp ice-cold water
For the filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onionthinly sliced
- 1 ⅓ lb courgettescoarsely grated or diced small
- ¾ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian hard cheesefinely grated
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 3 ⅞ oz cold butter into 8 oz plain flour and ¼ tsp salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 4 tbsp ice-cold water and press into a dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook 1 large onion for 6 minutes until soft. Add 1 ⅓ lb courgettes and ¾ tsp salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the pan looks dry. Cool for 10 minutes.
16 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) with a baking tray inside. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and line a 24 cm tart tin. Prick the base with a fork.
Step 4: Beat 4 eggs with 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian hard cheese, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp black pepper, then stir in the courgette mixture. Pour into the pastry case.
Step 5: Bake on the hot tray for 35–40 minutes, until the filling is set firm in the centre (a knife comes out clean) and the pastry is golden.
40 minStep 6: Cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. For lunch boxes, cool completely, refrigerate and pack slices with an ice pack; it keeps 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarta de zapallitos take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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