In spring and early summer, quick-to-cook meals with a glut of green vegetables are my go to. The pea, spring onion and courgette tart is an absolute delight – light, fresh and utterly delicious.

Tarts made from a sheet of puff pastry are SO easy to make. You don’t even need to roll the pastry out, because it comes ready rolled! The topping is easy peasy too – no extra cooking needed.

This is a vegetarian tart, but if you’re a meat eater you might want to crisp up a handful of cubes of pancetta or chorizo and sprinkle them on top after you’ve cooked the tart – yum!

You can eat this hot or cold and it’s great as a picnic dish. If you’re planning to eat it cold, make it the same day to make sure you get all of those delightful fresh flavours.

This spring tart is light, herby, and perfect for al fresco meals. If you love savoury bakes, try the equally seasonal Asparagus and Bacon on Sourdough or the gorgeous Cauliflower, Pancetta and Mushroom Bake. For a pastry-free veggie option, the Frittata Primavera is fresh and filling.

The Ingredients

Puff pastry – ready rolled puff pastry is the key here. You simply unroll it and off you go! You can use a block of puff pastry (roll it out to 5mm thick).
Egg – this is simply for aesthetics, to make the outside of the tart golden brown. You don’t have to use an egg wash, but the colour of your tart won’t be as good.
Soft cheese – any kind of soft cheese will do. I used Philadelphia.
Lemon juice – to bring just a little acidity to the rich cheese.
Hard Italian cheese – parmesan or similar (a vegetarian version if you need the dish to be vegetarian).
Frozen peas, spring onions and courgette – the lovely green vegetables that give the dish its freshness.

Cooking the Tart – Top Tips

Spread the cheese evenly This will make sure that you get an even cook through the pastry, including underneath.
Keep an eye on the oven When you’re cooking the tart, keep a close eye on it. Puff pastry can switch from golden brown to burnt and bitter quickly!
Peel the courgette, don’t slice Peeling the courgette makes even, thin ribbons which cook quickly. If you slice the courgette, you could end up with undercooked courgette.