Spiral Vegetable Tart

Last Updated 12/4/2024 • Posted in Southern Holiday, Food and Drink, Recipes

There are multiple reasons why I love this recipe. It uses simple ingredients that can be found year round. If you have a surplus of vegetables ( squash and zucchini from your garden), you can use them in this tart. You can choose as many different ingredients as you wish. The more colors you choose, the more beautiful it will present. It is a different spin on common veggies that makes it exciting again to eat them. And last, but not least, it is a visual stunner. Your guests will be very tempted to to try a piece (even if they’re not crazy about their vegetables)just because it is so beautiful. I will admit that it takes some time to construct. But it can be cooked ahead of time and gently reheated. It can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days. But I would recommend making it the day prior to Thanksgiving because fresher is always better.

You could have all the ingredients prepped the day before, then easily construct and cook it on Thanksgiving Day. I have not included a separate recipe for the tart crust but chose to use store bought pastry sheets. Since this is just one dish among many on a holiday, I figured I would not invest the time in making every single item from scratch.

Keep reading for how to make this visual masterpiece and you will find the ingredients at the end!

Pre-bake the pastry crust according to package directions for 10 minutes in a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll up any extra dough along the edge of the pan to form a crust around the edge of the pan if you’d like. You can use a pie pan, but it will be a little challenging to get the first piece out most likely. A blind baked tart crust will keep the bottom of the crust from getting too soggy. While it is baking and then cooling, make your pesto.

Place all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor and pulse to combine. Then slowly add enough oil to emulsify the mixture. It’s recommended that you use a hummus with a thick consistency. A thick pesto will aid in holding the vegetable slices in place and reduce the amount of moisture that comes from cooking the vegetables. Spread enough pesto onto the cooled tart crust to be about 1/2 inch thick. Then sprinkle the grated cheese over the pesto.

Thinly slice your vegetables using a mandolin, vegetable peeler or sharp knife. They do not all have to be the same size but you can trim the strips if they look out of proportion . You can also cut a straight line along one edge of the strips so that it will stand up more evenly in pan. The most important thing is that you cut thin strips. To begin assembly, brush each strip with olive oil, salt and pepper. Start at the outer edge of the tart pan and work your way towards the middle. Form a circle with one vegetable, then start another circle with a different vegetable. Continue layering until you fill the entire pan and tightly roll the last strip to fit into the very middle and support the other layers. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle an Italian seasoning blend to season. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until it is nicely browned and vegetables are tender. You can lightly cover the tart in the last 15 minutes if it seems to be looking too browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 10minutes before cutting. Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and serve.

Leftovers can be reheated in a 350 degree oven until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. I wish a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to you all in 2024!

Ingredients:

2 packages frozen pastry sheets, thawed and pressed into 9 inch tart pan

Pesto:

1 8 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and drained

1/4 cup basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup hummus, thick

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Thinly sliced vegetables of your choice such as carrots, rainbow carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, sweet potato, golden potato.