Zucchini and Ricotta Galette

This Zucchini and Ricotta Galette is a showstopper for your next brunch. Lemony ricotta is topped with layers of sweet zucchini surrounded by a flaky, buttery crust. Don't let the pie dough intimidate you, galettes are so much more forgiving and so much fun to make!

For this zucchini ricotta galette, we use a basic pie crust and the result is a rustic yet professional-looking dish. We make the dough in advance and freeze it for later. When we're ready to bake, we pull the dough out of the freezer and we're ready to go!

Unlike a traditional pie, you don't have to make sure your dough is crimped to perfection. With galettes, you fold and forget! This zucchini and ricotta galette is savory, but galettes can also be sweet. Zucchini and ricotta is a good combination that uses the best of those summer farm stand finds.

What you will need

Read on to learn what goes into this savory zucchini galette.

• Flour For the galette crust.
• Salt and sugar To flavor the crust. You can leave out the sugar, but we like to leave it in as it compliments the saltiness of the cheese.
• Butter The key to a solid crust is using very COLD butter.
• Egg yolk plus water This will create an egg wash, which helps to get a perfectly shiny, golden brown color on the crust.
• Zucchini Fresh zucchini. Zucchini peaks in the summer so hit up those farmer's markets. We use green zucchini, but you can use yellow squash or a mixture of both.
• Ricotta we use whole milk ricotta but you can use partial skim.
• Grated cheese Used in the filling. We love Pecorino Romano, but you could use Parmesan or Locatelli.
• Lemon zest Adds freshness to the filling.
• Rosemary Earthy herb to season the ricotta filling. Fresh basil, thyme, or chives are also good choices.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Step-by-step instructions

Don't let all the steps intimidate you! We wanted to provide plenty of detailed photos so you could make zucchini galettes like a pro.

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times. Step 2. Add the cold butter. Step 3. Add water and pulse a few times. Step 4. Continue to add water until a wet sand-like dough forms. Step 5. Dump out and use your hand to form a ball. Step 6. Flatten the ball into a disc and place it in the fridge covered with wrap.

Step 7: Slice the zucchini into thin rounds. Step 8. Blot dry with a paper towel. Step 9. Add the filling mixture to a bowl. Step 10. Mix until well combined. Step 11. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough disk into a circle, about 12 inches in diameter. Step 12. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 13: Spread the ricotta mixture over the dough, leaving about a 1.5-inch border. Step 14. Add the zucchini, overlapping them in circles. Step 15. Using your fingers, crimp or fold the dough over onto itself, tucking in the outer layer of the zucchini (keep it rustic- it doesn't need to be solid). Step 16. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Brush the crust with the egg wash.

Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the zucchini begins to soften and brown. Allow to cool slightly, slice, and serve warm.

Pro tips

• chill the dough in the refrigerator as instructed, it will make it easier to roll out.
• Slice your zucchini thin and the same size so that it bakes evenly. We like to use a mandoline for this, but you can also use a knife or the shredding attachment of a food processor.
• Remember to leave a border around the edge so the filling doesn't ooze out.
• Don't worry about perfecting the crust fold, the goal is for it to look rustic and homemade.

Swaps

Feel like mixing it up? Here are some great swaps you can try.

• Instead of ricotta, you can use goat cheese. For an irresistibly smooth texture, process the goat cheese in a food processor first before adding the seasonings.
• Garlic can be added to the ricotta mixture for an extra layer of flavor.
• Before adding the ricotta, try adding a layer of carmelized onions-yum!
• To elevate the dish, top with crispy prosciutto or bacon.

For substitutions, visit the ingredient section.

Storage and make-ahead

The dough can be made ahead of time! To freeze, prepare the dough up until you would have refrigerated it. Wrap the disk well with plastic wrap then place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Store leftover zucchini galette in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven until warmed through.

Serving suggestions

Kitchen questions

Do we need to squeeze the water out of the zucchini?

Unlike our zucchini pancake recipe you do not need to squeeze out any water from the zucchini. We blot the zucchini with a paper towel, pressing down slightly to absorb any moisture.

Ingredients

Makes 6

For the galette crust:

• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp Kosher or fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp ice water, more if needed
• 1 egg yolk plus 1 tsp water for an egg wash

For the filling:

• 1 large (about 9 ounces) zucchini, sliced into thin rounds (about ⅛-¼ inch thick), and patted dry with a paper towel (about 2 cups sliced zucchini)
• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ¾ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp Kosher or fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Equipment

• food processor

Method

Make the crust:

1. Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to blend. Add butter and pulse 5-6 more times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Add 3 Tbs ice water, and pulse well after each addition. Add just enough water to make a crumbly dough (we usually need about 5 tablespoons total). The dough will look like wet sand (it will not come together on its own but it will take shape when mixed with your hands).

3. Roll the dough into a ball onto a lightly floured surface, and then flatten it into a disk. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. While the crust is chilling, prepare your filling.

Assembling the galette

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Mix the ricotta, grated cheese, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

3. Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter.

4. Place the ricotta mixture in the center of the galette, leaving about a 1½-inch border around the edges. Use the back of a spoon to evenly distribute the filling.

5. Place the zucchini in the center, covering the filling. We like to overlap the zucchini slices in circles for a prettier presentation.

6. Fold the galette border over the filling, pleating the edges as you work around it. The goal here is sloppy rustic, no need for perfection!

7. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the zucchini and season with additional salt and pepper.

8. Prepare the egg wash: In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and 1 tsp of water. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash.

9. Transfer the prepared galette to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

10. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with additional cheese rosemary, or fresh lemon zest sprinkled on top.

Kitchen notes

• The dough can be made ahead of time! To freeze, prepare the dough up until you would have refrigerated it. Wrap the disk well with plastic wrap then place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.