Pepper-Onion Frittata Tart

PEPPER AND ONION FRITTATA TART with CORNMEAL CRUST

This tart has a Southwestern twist. The cornmeal crust is a little difficult to roll. If the crust starts to break apart, the recipe’s creator recommends just patchingit into place in the tart or pie plan, using your hands. This recipe appeared originallyin The Washington Post;, which attributed it to Howto Bake by Nick Maigieri.

Ingredients FOR THE CRUST:

3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon bleached all-purpose flour, as well as a little extrafor working the dough
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 egg

To make

THE CRUST:

Combine 3/4 cup of the flour with the cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a mediummixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Stir or pulse tomix. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss or pulse once to coat the pieces ofbutter. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands or a pastry blender, or,if using a food processor, pulse at I -second intervals, until the mixture resemblescoarsely ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Beat the egg in asmall bowl and pour over the flour mixture. Stir with a fork or pulse 1O times or so,until dough forms a ball.

Scatter 1 tablespoon of flour over the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
Press the dough into a circle. Sandwich it between two pieces of plastic wrap and pressinto a 6-inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it,or at least I hour.

Ingredients FOR THE FILLING:
3 medium red, green or yellow bell peppers (about1pound total)
1 medium-size red onion (about 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram, or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup whole- or part-skim-milk ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparing

THE FILLING: Slicethe peppers and onion thinly. Heat the olive oil in a wide, shallow pan and add the pepperand onion slices. Season with the salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring ortossing frequently, or until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir inthe marjoram, pour into a mixing bowl, and cool.
Place the ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan in a food processor and process for about 1 minuteuntil smooth.
Set a rack in lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350° F.
Final Preparation of THE CRUST: After at least one hour in the refrigerator, thenwhenever it is convenient, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and scatterflour over it. Roll the dough out into a 13-to-14-inch circle. Fit the dough into a9-to-10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim away all but 1/2 inch of the excessaround the edge of the pan. Fold the excess back into the pan. Press the dough firmlyagainst the bottom and side of the pan, then using the thumb and index finger of one hand,press against the side of the crust and down on the top edge to make the rim smooth andeven.
Combine the ricotta and pepper mixtures, correct the seasonings if necessary, and pourinto the crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is setand the crust baked through. Cool on a rack.
To unmold THE TART: Stand the pan on a large can or canister and allowthe rim to fall away. Slide the tart from the pan’s bottom onto a large flat-bottomplatter. If you do not have a tart pan, do not let that stop you. Any suchrecipe is fine made in a pie pan. Usually the 10-inch size is good for arecipe which specifies using a tart pan.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

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