So, when I set out to create this recipe, I was originally going to do one of those upside-down puff pastry situations you’ve probably seen all over instagram and tiktok. Like these. But honestly, was I really going to spend time cutting up the puff pastry and arranging each individual one? No. One giant puff pastry tart was the answer here. Plus, zucchini and summer squash have a lot of water in them, and if they were baked upside-down, that water would have nowhere to evaporate. It likely would have resulted in a soggy, mushy zucchini situation. So here we are with a big ol’ zucchini puff pastry tart – baked right-side-up – that you can just cut up with a pizza cutter after you’re done! And it only takes about 10 minutes of prep (with barely any clean-up!). You just roll out a sheet of puff pastry directly on a piece of parchment paper (no mess!), then score and brush with an egg, add the toppings, and bake. I’m SO pleased with this result – a crusty, flaky pastry throughout and delicious flavors from the veggies and toppings.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Zucchini and Summer Squash – or just one or the other – you don’t need to use both if you don’t want to! Puff pastry Egg – feel free to use a vegan egg substitute if you prefer. Red onion – or another kind of onion Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil – feel free to omit these, or use very thinly sliced (and patted dry) fresh tomatoes. I don’t recommend using the sun-dried tomatoes that aren’t packed in oil and come in a bag – those burn too easily at a high roasting temperature. I made this mistake and you can see in the photos that they got a bit too crispy! Olive oil Balsamic glaze Dried oregano – can be omitted or substituted with another herb, fresh or dried. If using fresh basil, I recommend adding it after baking, when you add the balsamic glaze, since it doesn’t hold up well to roasting at high temperatures. Salt and pepper
How to make a puff pastry tart with zucchini and summer squash
First, roll out a puff pastry sheet to approximately 9 inches by 12 inches. Do this on top of a piece of parchment paper (no need to flour any surfaces here! Less mess! Yay!). Then, transfer the parchment and puff pastry to a rimmed baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, score the edge of the puff pastry about a quarter of an inch from the edge all the way around (see photo below). This will help control where the puff pastry rises up, and make a more defined puffy crust border as it bakes. Then, beat an egg with just a little water (this helps it be less viscous and easier to spread evenly). Add it to the puff pastry and brush everywhere, with a thin coating on the border/edges. You can leave a thick coating in the center of the puff pastry inside the border (see photo below); this will act as a “glue” to which the zucchini and summer squash stick. Finally, arrange the zucchini and summer squash, onions, and sun dried tomatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Bake, and after it’s done, drizzle with balsamic glaze, slice, and serve!
Tips and Tricks
Let the puff pastry tart cool for a bit before slicing while it’s still on the baking sheet after you remove it from the oven. This will help it solidify a bit before cutting into it. It will also help continue to crisp up the bottom of the puff pastry with the residual heat of the baking sheet without worrying about the rest of it getting too brown. The thinner you slice the zucchini and summer squash, the softer and more cooked they will be. This is a matter of personal preference. I recommend about an eighth of an inch thick. Using a mandoline slicer can make easy work of slicing the vegetables evenly and at a thickness of your preference.
Can I add cheese to this zucchini puff pastry tart?
Sure! A sprinkling of crumbled soft goat cheese or feta cheese would be delicious here. You can add this before or after baking. Or, sprinkle some grated parmesan, asiago, or other aged hard cheese on top before baking, which will add a salty, crispy texture to the top.
Can I make it vegan and/or gluten-free?
With some substitutions, you can make this zucchini puff pastry tart vegan and/or gluten free. The non-vegan ingredients in this puff pastry tart are the puff pastry itself (which also has gluten) and the egg. You can use a vegan-friendly puff pastry (I’m not aware of a store-bought one, but here’s a homemade vegan puff pastry, and also a gluten free vegan puff pastry recipe). And any vegan egg substitute should work just fine! Using a vegan puff pastry will also make it dairy-free.
The parchment paper I’m obsessed with!!
One other quick thing – I’m OBSESSED with these parchment paper sheets that fit perfectly into a standard half-sheet pan. No cutting/weird edges, no weird fits, and they’re super heavy duty and high quality. And there are like a million sheets in the package (ok fine, there are 200). But I’ve been using the same package for about 3 years now.
Other easy zucchini recipes
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