Asparagus Ricotta Phyllo Tart

This is super lemony and delicious. I love it with a blueberry, blue cheese salad on the side.

Recipe and photo Vegetarian Times

Asparagus-Ricotta Phyllo Tart

Serves 6

The phyllo crust on this quiche is a lot lower in fat and calories than a regular piecrust. Choose thick asparagus spears, since thin ones tend to soften too much during baking.

• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 lb. fat asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 large egg
• 1 15-oz. container low-fat ricotta cheese (1 ¾ cups)
• ⅔ cup chopped green onions
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• Olive oil cooking spray
• ⅓ cup fine breadcrumbs, divided
• 14 (13- x 9-inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 Tbs. sesame seeds

1. 1Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook asparagus in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain, and refresh under cold running water until cooled.
2. Whisk together egg and ricotta in medium bowl. Stir in green onions, basil, Parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and asparagus.
3. To make Crust: Coat 11- or 12-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on work surface. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs. Repeat with 6 more phyllo sheets, placing each sheet at a 45° angle to the previous one to form a rough circle. Lift phyllo stack into prepared tart pan, letting excess hang over sides. Gently press into pan. Spread ricotta filling in crust. Cover with plastic wrap while preparing top crust.
4. Spray and stack remaining 7 phyllo sheets in same manner as bottom crust. Spray top sheet with cooking spray, but do not sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Set stack on top of filling and press edges to seal. With scissors, trim edges, leaving 1-inch overhang. Roll edges over to form rim. Spray with cooking spray. Cut several slits in crust for steam vents. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Set tart pan on baking sheet, and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cool 10 minutes before serving.