EASY HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND RICOTTA FILO TART

Easy Heirloom Tomato and Ricotta Filo Tart image

Provided by Marilena Leavitt

Categories Tart

Time 55m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

½ package of filo pastry (8oz.), thawed in the refrigerator
- extra virgin olive oil
12 oz. small heirloom tomatoes and/or Campari tomatoes
--salt and pepper to taste for seasoning
1 cup good quality, full fat Ricotta cheese
4 TBSP. Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP. half & half or heavy cream
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 medium garlic cloves, grated
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
fresh chives, oregano, fresh thyme (for topping)

Steps:

Take the thawed package of filo out of the refrigerator. Let it sit, still in the package, while you are prepping the filling.
Wash, dry and half the tomatoes if they are small, or, slice them if they are bigger. Season them well with some salt and pepper and place them on two layers of paper towels. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that the moisture is drawn out of the tomatoes and will intensify their flavor when roasted. Place a second layer of paper towels on the tomatoes and gently press. Replace the paper towels a couple of times while you are working on the next steps.
In a small bowl mix together the Ricotta, Parmesan, half & half, lemon zest and juice, grated garlic, and the salt and pepper. Set them aside, while you work with the filo.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Uncover the filo package and take out eight sheets of filo. With a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), cut through the stack of filo so you have a 12" square. Reserve the rest for another use.
Place the first sheet of filo on a clean surface and brush it with some extra virgin olive oil. Continue with the rest of the filo, placing each sheet on top of the previous one. Brush some olive oil on the bottom and sides of an 8" baking dish. Lift the oiled filo sheets and place them on the center of dish. Trim the corners of the stack and fold over the edges towards the center of the baking dish, creating a small boarder. This does not have to be perfect.
Using an offset spatula spread the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the filo shell, reserving two tablespoons to use for garnishing.
Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese base. Drizzle with some olive oil and put in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filo is golden brown.
Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. When cool, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top as a garnish and add a couple of dollops of the reserved Ricotta mixture. Drizzle a little olive oil and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.