Spring Vegetable Ricotta Galette
A rustic puff pastry tart piled with asparagus, peas, broad beans and courgette, brightened with lemon and mint.
This spring vegetable galette celebrates the season: crisp pastry, creamy ricotta and the grassy sweetness of peas, broad beans and asparagus. It’s fuss-free but looks like you’ve made an effort — perfect for brunch, a light supper or a picnic.
The galette is forgiving: use a mix of your favourite spring veg, and it’s lovely warm or at room temperature. If the veg are tiny and perfect straight from the garden, all the better — no fancy technique required.
Ingredients
- 375 g ready-rolled puff pastry
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 50 g Parmesan cheese — grated, reserve a tablespoon for finishing
- 1 large free-range egg — beaten for egg wash
- 300 g asparagus — trimmed and halved lengthways if thick
- 200 g fresh peas — shelled
- 150 g broad beans — shelled
- 1 courgette — medium, cut into ribbons or thin slices
- 1 lemon — zest and 1 tbsp juice
- 1 garlic clove — finely minced
- 30 ml olive oil — about 2 tbsp
- 15 g fresh mint — roughly chopped
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- baking tray
- frying pan
- saucepan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil with a pinch of sea salt. Add the fresh peas and broad beans and blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. If using broad beans, push each from its thick skin after cooling.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgette ribbons and asparagus and sauté for 3–4 minutes until just tender and lightly coloured. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese (reserve a tablespoon), lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped fresh mint, a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Unroll the puff pastry onto the prepared baking tray. Lightly score a 2 cm border around the edge (do not cut all the way through) and prick the centre inside the border a few times with a fork. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the centre, leaving the border clear. Scatter the blanched peas and skinned broad beans over the ricotta, then arrange the sautéed courgette and asparagus on top. Brush the pastry border with the beaten large free-range egg and sprinkle the reserved Parmesan cheese over the filling.
Bake on the middle shelf for 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest on the tray for 5 minutes. Scatter over the remaining fresh mint, grind a little extra black pepper and finish with a light squeeze of lemon if liked. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Pat the blanched peas and broad beans dry before adding to the ricotta so the pastry doesn't get soggy.
- If your asparagus is thin, there's no need to par-cook it—just halve lengthways and arrange raw; thicker spears benefit from a quick sauté.
- Make the ricotta mix a few hours ahead and keep chilled; bring to cool room temperature before spreading so it doesn’t chill the pastry.
- To reheat, warm slices in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 8–10 minutes to keep the pastry crisp; avoid microwaving.
- If you prefer a nuttier finish, scatter a few toasted pine nuts over the galette just before serving.
Substitutions
ready-rolled puff pastry → shortcrust pastry (same weight)
Noticeably differentricotta cheese → feta cheese, crumbled (250 g)
Stays closefresh peas → frozen peas, 200 g (thawed)
Stays closeParmesan cheese → Pecorino or vegetarian hard cheese, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 820
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the galette ahead of time?
Yes — assemble and chill for up to 4 hours, then bake straight from the fridge (add 2–3 minutes to the bake time). For longer storage, bake and cool, then refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat in the oven to crisp.
Can I freeze the galette?
You can freeze a fully baked galette wrapped twice for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in a 190°C fan/210°C conventional oven for 20–25 minutes until hot and crisp.
How do I stop the filling making the pastry soggy?
Ensure blanched veg are well drained and the ricotta mix isn't too wet. Pat vegetables dry with kitchen paper and avoid overfilling the centre; keep a 2 cm unfilled border.
Can I make this vegan?
Not as written — swap puff pastry made without butter, use a plant-based ricotta or silken tofu blended with lemon and nutritional yeast, and omit the egg wash. Outcome is noticeably different.
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