Savory Tart with Sausage, Vegetables & Cheese

Savory Tart Recipe with Puff Pastry, Sausage, Vegetables and Cheese.

Flaky puff pastry is topped with layers of ricotta, caramelized onions, Italian sausage, Gruyère cheese, roasted red peppers and asparagus.

You may have noticed the recent addition of some savory bakes on this blog, which has traditionally been all about baked goods that reside on the sweet side of life. While this blog is, and always will be, devoted to baking, I’ve been reminded by friends and readers that not all baked goods are sweet. The reminder usually comes in the form of a request for recipes that can be served as a meal, not just as dessert.

This is a request for which I am more than happy to oblige.

And, quite frankly, I don’t know what’s taken me so long.

Baking doesn’t always mean sweet any more than cooking always means savory. So while the primary focus of this blog will continue to be recipes that begin with either a batter or a dough, savory bakes are going to make a much bigger appearance from now on.

I hope you’re good with that, dear reader. You can always let me know by leaving a comment. I always love to hear from you.

My favorite type of savory bakes are those those with few rules and lots of options.

I really value versatility in dishes that include fresh ingredients such as meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables. It’s important to be able to swap out ingredients based on personal taste, what’s available in your area, and what’s in season.

This Savory Sausage and Vegetable Tart recipe includes ricotta, Gruyère, Italian sausage, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and asparagus because those ingredients sounded good to me, and because asparagus is currently in season. But, just like this recipe for Chorizo Empanadas, nearly every ingredient in this Savory Tart recipe can be swapped out for another. For example…

Use bacon or chicken instead of sausage. Artichokes instead of roasted red peppers. Thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash instead of asparagus. The addition of garlic, olives, cherry tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs or arugula. The ricotta base is also optional. I love the creamy texture and flavor it adds, but the tart would be perfectly delicious without it. And, of course, swap any other cheese you like for the Gruyère.

This savory tart is perfect for a simple, quick lunch or supper.

This tart comes together in about 1-hour, start to finish, including bake time. Simply allow the puff pastry to thaw while you prepare the filling ingredients, assemble the tart and bake.

Divided into 4 large slices, the tart is a meal in and of itself. But, you could certainly slice it into 6 or 8 smaller slices and serve it as an appetizer or side dish. It would be lovely served with salad in the summer or a bowl of soup in the winter.

You can also double the filling ingredients and bake two tarts at a time if serving a larger group. Divide your oven into thirds, with one rack towards the top of the oven and one towards the bottom. Bake the tarts, one per baking sheet, for 10-15 minutes. Then swap the placement of the baking sheets, moving the bottom sheet to the top rack and vice versa, and continue to cook for the remaining 10-15 minutes.

Other recipes you might like:

• Chorizo Empanadas with Avocado Cream
• Homemade Cheese Crackers
• Homemade Flour Tortillas
• Homemade Dinner Rolls

Savory Tart with Sausage, Vegetables & Cheese

Savory Tart with Sausage, Vegetables & Cheese

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• Author: Rebecca Blackwell
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4 large slices

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Description

Flaky puff pastry is topped with layers of ricotta, caramelized onions, Italian sausage, Gruyère cheese, roasted red peppers and asparagus.

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Ingredients

• 1– 10” X 15″ X 1/8″ sheet of puff pastry (I use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, which includes two sheets of pastry this size.)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, cut in half, each half cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup (8 oz) ricotta cheese
• Zest from 1 large lemon
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup (about 1/4 lb) Gruyère cheese, grated
• 6 oz roasted red peppers, from a jar or can
• 1 lb fresh asparagus
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

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Instructions

1. Remove a sheet of puff pastry from the freezer and allow it to thaw, uncovered, at room temperature for 40 minutes. While the pastry thaws, prepare the tart filing.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until it shimmers. Crumble the Italian sausage into the hot oil and sauté until brown and cooked through, breaking it up into small chunks with a spoon as it cooks. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
3. Return the pan to the heat; lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and beginning to brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions to a plate.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flakes and about 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper to a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine; taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
6. Unfold the defrosted puff pastry sheet and lay it in the center of the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the ricotta evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch boarder on all sides of the puff pastry sheet.
7. Sprinkle the onions over the ricotta in an even layer and then top with the sausage. Sprinkle the grated Gruyère cheese over the sausage and onions in an even layer, being careful to leave the 1-inch boarder on all sides. Layer the roasted red peppers over the Gruyère.
8. Chop the stems from the asparagus, leaving 3-4 inch long tips. Arrange the asparagus tips over the red peppers. Sprinkle with an additional 1/4 tsp of salt.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of the puff pastry are a golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped chives, slice, and serve.

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