Pea Pesto and Ricotta Tarts

I recently came across this image from Williams Sonoma’s instagram account and immediately fell in love with the idea. Apparently it’s from their newlywed cookbook, but honestly I was too lazy to track down the book and so I figured I’d just recreate it myself through visual aid alone. These Pea Pesto and Ricotta Tarts are delicious. Frozen puff pastry makes them simple and the frozen peas and lima beans allow them to be made all year round. They’re a great vegetarian appetizer, snack or starter to any meal. Give these a go because you’ll fall in love with them, I just know it. If you’re looking for another puff pastry and ricotta recipe, give this courgette tart a try, it’s just as good!

Unfold the puff pastry sheets and roll out slightly to remove the creases. Cut each sheet into six even rectangles so you end up with twelve pieces.

**Tip: Use a sharp pairing knife to score a rectangle on each puff pastry piece’s edge. Don’t cut all the way through. Then use a fork to prick holes all through the center of each. This will allow steam to escape and prevent them from puffing up too much in the oven!**

Brush the puff pastry tarts with egg wash and bake until deep golden brown and flaky, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, press down on the tarts to remove flatten them a bit, especially if they’ve puffed up a lot. Set aside.

Bring a medium saucepan to a boil. Season with a liberal pinch of salt. Then add in the lima beans. Blanch for about 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to remove to a large bowl. Bring the same water to a boil once again and then add the peas. Blanch for a minute as well and then use a slotted spoon to remove the peas. Add half of them to the same bowl as the lima beans and the other half to a food processor. Allow to cool.

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Once cooled, add the pepitas, parmesan, mint, basil, garlic, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the food processor with the peas. Plus a few times until finely chopped.

While the machine is running, slowly stream in the olive oil and process until a thick pesto forms. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed.

**Tip: I sometimes double this batch and keep it in the fridge for other uses throughout the week. It’s great with pasta, in sandwiches, or on crispy grilled bread or crostini.**

Season the lima beans and peas with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a toss to evenly combine.

**Note: If you’re not a fan of lima beans, you can use edamame or green beans or just more peas. It’s up to you!**

To assemble the tarts, spread each cooled puff pastry with ricotta. Top with pea pesto and garnish each with parmesan, fresh mint and basil. Season lightly with salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper. 

The best thing about these tarts is that they can be served at room temperature or cold from the fridge, making them perfect for dinner parties.

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If you plan on making these ahead of time, I would recommend assembling each of the components and keeping them separate. Then just assemble right before you plan on serving them. This will prevent the tarts from getting soggy.

**Tip: You can rewarm the puff pastry tarts slightly in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes to recrisp them slightly. But this isn’t totally necessary.**

If you don’t want to make these into individual tarts, you can make it into one large tart by just unfolding or unrolling one large puff pastry sheet and then proceeding as directed. The frozen lima beans and peas allow you to make this year round and so I hope you’ll give this a try soon, I know you’ll love it as much as I do. Thank you for following along!