Torta di Zucchine e Riso
A traditional Ligurian savoury tart with a paper-thin olive oil crust, filled with sweet grated courgettes, rice, fresh marjoram, and cheese.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •28 cm round baking tin
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowls
- •Box grater
- •Clean tea towel
- •Small saucepan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 13 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 12 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Knead the flour, lukewarm water, half a teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of olive oil into a smooth dough.
- 2
Cover the dough with an upturned warm bowl and rest it at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 3
Grate the courgettes coarsely, toss with half a teaspoon of salt, and drain in a colander for twenty minutes.
- 4
Squeeze the grated courgettes thoroughly in a clean tea towel to extract as much liquid as possible.
- 5
Parboil the rice in boiling salted water for five minutes, drain completely, and leave to cool.
- 6
Combine the squeezed courgettes, parboiled rice, eggs, prescinseua, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, marjoram, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- 7
Roll out the rested dough on a lightly floured worktop until it is paper-thin and wider than your tin.
- 8
Line a greased 28 cm baking tin with the sheet of dough, letting the excess hang over the edges.
- 9
Spread the courgette and rice filling evenly over the pastry base in a level layer.
- 10
Fold the pastry overhang inward over the perimeter of the filling to create a rustic pleated border.
- 11
Drizzle the exposed filling and pastry rim with the remaining olive oil.
- 12
Bake at 190°C (170°C fan) for forty to forty-five minutes until the pastry is crisp and the surface is golden-brown.
Chef's tips
Always parboil the rice briefly so it cooks evenly with the vegetables without drying out the filling. Squeezing the courgettes firmly in a cloth prevents a soggy pastry base. Ligurian savoury pies taste noticeably better when cooled to warm or room temperature rather than served piping hot.
Ingredient substitutions
- prescinseua → cow's milk ricotta mixed with one teaspoon of plain yoghurt for acidity
- round-grain Italian rice → Carnaroli or standard pudding rice
Storage
Store leftover tart wrapped in greaseproof paper in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat slices in a moderate oven at 160°C for eight minutes, or enjoy cold at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the courgette draining step, which makes the filling watery and softens the base.
- •Rolling the pasta matta dough too thick instead of stretching it thinly.
- •Slicing the tart immediately straight from the oven before the filling sets.
Serving suggestions
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