Ricotta-and-artichoke tart
( Torta salata con ricotta e carciofi )

Artichoke-and-ricotta tart recipe

Preparation and cooking

• - Begin with pizza dough if you've decided to prepare handmade pizza dough.
  Follow our pizza dough recipes or your favorite one. Link below.
  Let pizza dough leaven in a warm place.
• - Meanwhile prepare other ingredients.
• - Clean artichokes.
  Snap off their stalk close to the base, pulling out any fibbers which would extend into the bottom.
  Cut off their pointed top and, using kitchen scissors, trim leaves to remove spines and any brown edges.
  Separate leaves and run under cold water.
  Your artichokes are ready to be cooked.
  Cut them into very thin slices and plunge in water with some lemon drops to avoid they change color.
• - Chop onions.
• - Clean, wash and chop parsley and chives.
• - Put onion and olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
• - Saute onion on very low heat, stirring now and then.
• - Add artichokes, well drained, and let them flavor for few minutes stirring now and then.
• - Add marjoram too.
• - Season to taste with salt.
• - Add a glass of warm water and cook over a gentle heat, half-covered, until your artichokes are tender and cooking juice is well reduced.
• - Add parsley and chives few minutes before turning off the stove.
• - Let your mixture get cool.
• - Add a bit of warm water to ricotta in a bowl and stir.
  In this way you soften your cheese.
• - At this point you can add your stewed artichokes.
• - Stir and season to taste with salt again, but only if necessary.
• - Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
• - Line a shallow, not too large, ovenproof dish with waxed paper.
• - Line bottom and sides of the dish with pizza dough, allowing it to flow over the edges.
• - Prick its bottom with a fork and spoon in artichoke-and-ricotta mixture.
• - Refold every excess of dough over the surface and bake for about 20 minutes or until your tart is golden.

Just before serving

• - Serve your artichoke-and-ricotta tart warm or cold.

Note

Tips

• - For a quicker recipe: use dried chives and parsley for your artichoke-and-ricotta tart.
• - You can also make the shell of artichoke-and-ricotta tart with salty shortcrust pastry, puff pastry or ready-to-bake pizza dough.

Menu planning

• - Choose artichoke-and-ricotta tart for your lunch or dinner preceded by a soup or minestrone or accompanied by other seasonal vegetables.
• - It's a tasty idea for your Sunday brunch too, isn't it?
• - Bring a portion of artichoke-and-ricotta tart for your lunch break. If you have a microwave oven to warm it up it is better.
• - Artichoke-and-ricotta tart can be a starter too for a typical Italian menu. In this case it serves more than 6. Read my Easter menu. It can be a good idea for a picnic in spring too!

Useful links for this recipe

• - In our directory dedicated to pizza you can find easily your favorite pizza dough or you can test a new version.
• - Here's the recipe for shortcrust pastry if you want a tastier version of artichoke-and-ricotta tart.
• - In the previous paragraph I have mentioned my Easter menu, follow the link if interested.
• - More details on artichokes?

Healthy eating

• - Artichokes are healthy food. Read more on our artichoke card.
• - Artichoke-and-ricotta tart has the right amount of protein. In fact every serving contains 50g (1 3/4 ounce) of cheese. So don't combine other food rich in protein.
• - I remember you my original home recipes can be made without salt. There is always a combination of flavors that substitutes salt.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Ricotta-and-artichoke tart "?

My husband and I have the habit to pair a good glass of beer to this savory tart for the presence or artichokes. If you can't give up wine, choose Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (a white wine from Marches)