Desserts – Lemon Ricotta Tart

From a recipe by Steve Manfredi, this makes the very best of a special occasion without the need for expensive ingredients, or even those that may be out of season.

I started hunting down a suitable ricotta recipe because I had a tub of it in the fridge left over from my peanut butter cheesecake recipe. I thought I would need it – it turns out I didn’t. So what to do with the remains?

I converted a large tub into two recipes, for this tart and for a savoury baked ricotta that you might add to a cheeseboard or an antipasta platter. I’ll post that one later in the week, but for now, here’s a tart that fed eight people with ease.

Makes a 25cm tart or serves 8-10 people

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs, 170g (1 cup, firmly packed) soft brown sugar; 400g or one large tub ricotta; zest of one lemon; 80ml (4 tbsp) olive oil; 250g plain flour; 1 level tsp baking powder; 125ml (½ cup) milk

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Place eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric beaters until the mixture is creamy, about two minutes. Add ricotta and lemon zest and beat until smooth and combined. Add oil, then sift in the flour and baking powder and beat for half a minute to thoroughly combine. Stir in the milk until it just blends in.

Butter and flour a 25 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Take care to do this well so that the tart slips out easily and doesn’t snag in the fluted edges of the tin.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is just set.

Cook to room temperature in the tin, then turn it out onto a plate and dust with icing sugar and some more lemon zest if you’re feeling energetic.

Serve with custard, icecream or fruit. I served it with some baked pears and it was a terrific combination.

COST

$8.20 for up to eight people