ricotta pesto tomato galette.
INGREDIENTS:
For the crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
¼ cup cold water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 garlic clove, grated
For the galette:
4 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups ricotta
¼ cup pesto
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Basil, for serving
RECIPE:
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine.
Add the butter and parmesan and quickly pulse until butter is cut into pea-sized pieces.
Add the water and pulse until a dough ball forms, about 20 seconds.
Remove the dough from the processor and knead into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
To make the galette, first preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place sliced tomatoes on paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let drain for 10 minutes, then discard the paper towels.
While the tomatoes are draining, roll out the crust into a 14-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick.
Mix the ricotta and pesto together, then spread across the center of the crust leaving a 2 to 3 inch border. Add salt to taste.
Add the tomatoes, overlapping as needed. Sprinkle with pepper.
Fold the remaining crust over the filling, overlapping slightly but keeping the center open.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and grated garlic. Brush the egg wash onto the exposed crust.
Lightly flour a sheet tray or pizza stone and add the galette. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and tomatoes are wrinkled. There will be liquid in the galette; this is normal.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and top with basil to serve.
I really enjoy making pizza at home, but I’ll admit I’m not very good at crust. It never quite turns out the way it’s supposed to, and for something as simple as pizza, it’s not worth the hassle. Besides, pizza is one of the cheapest and easiest things to order for takeaway.
Pie crust, on the other hand, I’ve somewhat mastered. I don’t make a lot of pie — actually none at all — but the same formula goes into quiche, of which I make plenty (See: chorizo quiche and Boursin quiche). It’s also a similar blueprint for lemon bars, which I made hundreds of when I worked at Luna Bakery.
My favorite trick for this is to use a food processor. At the bakery, we used the ever-so-fancy Robot Coupe, but at home I use my trusty Vitamix. It’s probably my favorite purchase ever (or close behind my $7 chopping knife), and a total game changer for anyone who shreds cheese, bakes, or grinds meat. Yes, really — have you tried freshly ground sirloin burgers?!
A galette is an open-faced pie that can be either sweet or savory. The crust is made like a pie with cold cubed butter and flour; but instead of a bottom and a top, only the bottom is used and then folded over to form a crust. This results in a gorgeous, pizza-like pie with perfectly caramelized insides.
So, this galette is an ode to anyone who, like me, can’t quite get a pizza dough right but can really nail a pie crust. The creamy pesto base perfectly complements the bright, fresh, juicy tomatoes on top, and the hint of lemon and cracked black pepper pulls it all together in that simple Italian way. Not too fussy, but impressive enough to serve to guests at a dinner party.
It’s perfect.
Enjoy.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 50 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes
Mix pesto and ricotta together and season to taste.
Unlike a pizza, leave a good amount of room around the edge for folding.
