Caramelized Zucchini & Onion Tart

When I started growing zucchini in my garden a few years ago, I’ll admit I was a bit overwhelmed. First, there were so many of them coming off of just one plant! Then, they were bigger than my head! I was at a loss for what to do with all of this beautiful zucchini. I quickly learned how to solve the first problem, which is watching them like a hawk. You’ve got to check on your zucchini every day, because one day you’ll think, “Oh, I’ll just let that little guy go for one more day” and the next day that little guy requires both hands to carry. Zucchini tastes so much better if you pick it when it’s a small to medium in size. Letting it get too big results in a starchy tasting squash that is past it’s peak.

So once I figured out how to time my harvesting, I then had to tackle the next challenge of what to do with it all. At that point in life, I had really only enjoyed zucchini in one of two ways – raw and cut up as part of a crudite (still my favorite, by the way) or breaded and fried, dipped in a creamy ranch sauce. I have fond memories of cooking with my college boyfriend and one of the things we were so proud of ourselves for making was fried zucchini that tasted just as good as the Chili’s version. I was positive that my kids would devour it too. Yeah, wrong. They hated it! I had to beg them to eat it! To this day, they won’t touch fried zucchini. God forbid I even attempt to give it to them roasted with some salt and pepper. So over the years I’ve had to get creative with how I use all of that garden fresh deliciousness. This Caramelized Zucchini & Onion Tart turned out to be a solid winner that everyone loves.

How to caramelize zucchini

The idea to caramelize the zucchini came from my mom. She is always sending me articles about how to use fresh summer produce because she knows about my zucchini problem. She likes to caramelize zucchini and serve it as a side dish. But I knew the kids still wouldn’t go for it that way. So I used a vegetable peeler and cut the zucchini into really thin ribbons. Then I added it to a pan along with thinly sliced sweet onion and some garlic. Oh, and butter.

Then just let them cook down and allow their liquids to release. As this happens, the vegetables naturally become sweeter. If you could only imagine how good it smelled in my kitchen… divine. Just this mixture alone would be amazing as a side dish, or served over rice or pasta as a simple vegetarian meal.

What else is in this Zucchini & Onion Tart?

But I needed to go bigger than that if I was going to convert my squash-averse children. I needed to make this stuff into a pizza. And really, all this Caramelized Zucchini & Onion Tart is is a very fancy pizza.

For the cheese, I selected Gruyere because I know that The Prince is a sucker for it. He inherited his mother’s affinity for cheese and he is very adventurous about trying new flavor combinations. Whenever I make a cheese board, I’ll make various little bites of cheese, jam or fruit and a piece of cracker or flatbread for him to try. He loves exploring the different flavors and textures. Aged Gruyere is one of his favorite cheeses. And mine. Gruyere is an aged sharp cheese with a nutty flavor. It’s so amazing on grilled sandwiches and melted into pasta, and it complements the sweet caramelized veggies on this Caramelized Zucchini & Onion Tart so nicely.

Aside from the cheese and caramelized veggies, all you need is frozen puff pastry. Puff pastry is flaky and buttery and an all-around crowd pleaser.

Disclaimer, this tart is rich. One or two slices will do ya. I like to serve it with a big green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette and a bottle of crisp, acidic white like Pinot Grigio. It’s a delicious way to use your garden fresh zucchini that I know you’ll love. Enjoy!

Caramelized Zucchini & Onion Tart

A great way to use your garden fresh summer vegetables, with Gruyere and puff pastry dough

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 package (2 sheets) of frozen puff pastry dough
• 6 cups zucchini ribbons (2-3 medium sized zucchini)
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups Gruyere cheese grated
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Instructions

 

• Cut the onion into very thin slices. Finely mince the garlic.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, zucchini and onions and cook until carmelized, about 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, smoothing the seams together until it measures about 9×13. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes and remove from oven. It will be puffed up high, so run a rolling pin over it to flatten it back out.
• Layer 1/2 of the cheese, then the vegetables, then 1/2 of the cheese onto the pastry. Garnish with zucchini blossoms if you have them. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Keyword dinner, easy, vegetarian

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