Keto Asparagus Ricotta Tart

 

It’s so funny. I told el esposo I wanted to blog this tart for Mother’s Day because it might be a nice brunchy item for people to share with their moms and he said, “But you hate your mother - she was terrible to you!” It never occurred to me that my mother had anything to do with it. Most people love their mothers, as it should be, and it makes me happy to know others do. What happened to me with mine has in no way affected my sentiments about others celebrating the day. Is that crazy of me? Probably. Well, crazy or not... here we go. This tart is not only keto, but it offers all the best that spring brings to the table. A great sort of ad-lib I created with ingredients I had in the pantry and fridge for our Thursday Night Vegetarian Meal. I made up the recipe as I went along, but it came out well:

 

 Keto Asparagus Ricotta Tart

You can, of course, substitute shallots or onions for the leeks and leave out the fennel. You can also use puff pastry or a pre-made crust, if you are not on the ketogenic diet. You can use fresh cherry tomatoes, instead of sun-dried tomatoes... 

Ingredients:

• 1 fathead pizza crust - rolled into a 13 x 9 inch rectangle (Click here for recipe)
• 1 lb of ricotta
• 1 large egg
• a half handful of mixed herbs: basil (I used Thai basil, but regular basil is fine), thyme and oregano leaves, finely chopped (or use pesto) 
• a grating of nutmeg (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• white pepper (pinch)
• 1/4 cup drained and rough chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• sliced shallots and fennel bulb, sauteed until caramelized (1 shallot and 1 fennel bulb)
• 1/2 bunch large asparagus spears (about 10-12)
• 1-2 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 1 small lemon (optional)
• shaved parmesan, to taste (about 1/3 cup)
• chives (optional) 

Instructions:

1) Saute shallots and fennel bulb over medium heat until golden, deglaze pan with a splash of chardonnay, when all pan fond is scraped and incorporated and wine is reduced, add herbs. Remove from pan and set aside.

2) Make and roll out the fathead pizza dough. Press into small parchment-lined rectangular baking pan or place free-form on a parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza stone, dock the dough with fork tines allover, and blind-bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees in a pre-heated oven.

3) In the same pan you used to cook the shallot and fennel, add trimmed asparagus spears (10-12 large), add 2 tablespoons of sundried tomato oil & a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, mix well, then add to the oven on the rack below baking tart dough for 5 minutes.

4) Mix the ricotta with half the shaved parmesan. Crack in the egg, add nutmeg, white pepper and mix well. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed shallots and fennel bulb and mix well.

5) Remove tart dough and asparagus from oven. Add the ricotta mixture to the pre-baked tart dough. Arrange the asparagus spears nicely on top. Season the asparagus with the remainder of parmesan and pepper.

6) Bake the tart for about 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden. If the asparagus looks dry, brush with additional oil. Sprinkle with lemon zest and chives on top. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!