Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of Italian cheeses. And what better way to cook with it than this Springtime Parmigiano Reggiano & Onion Tart. This simple recipe has been endorsed by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium in Italy.
About the recipe
Parmigiano Reggiano & Onion Tart is a simple and rustic, savoury tart that is very popular in southern Italy. It is the perfect appetizer to a pizza or pasta main course.
Traditionally, the locals make it using flour, olive oil, onions and cheese. Actually, the best onions for this recipe are Tropea onions because of their sweetness. But if you can’t find them near you, any sweet red onion will do nicely.
Obviously, Parmigiano Reggiano is the perfect cheese for this recipe. But, if for some reason, you can’t get your hands on a good one, you can also try Grana Padano.
Ingredients
50 g Unsalted butter
1k g red onions, peeled and sliced lengthways
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pack puff pastry, ready rolled, preferably all butter (pack size varies from 320 g to 375 g)
Olive oil and plain flour for the baking sheet
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
1.5 g fresh thyme, leaves only, picked from approx. 6-8 sprigs (1 tbsp)
100 g Parmigiano Reggiano
Method
1
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan).
2
Melt the butter in a heavy pan and sauté the onions over a low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until completely softened.
3
Season with salt and pepper during and then check the seasoning at the end, as the eventual sweetness of the onions needs enough salt to balance the taste.
4
Whilst the onions are cooking, prepare the pastry base. Oil an approx. 35cm x 25cm baking dish and dust with flour. Unroll the pastry and place on the baking sheet.
5
With a sharp knife, score a 1-2 cm border around the edge of the pastry and prick within the border with a fork. Brush the border with egg.
6
Bake at 180°C (fan) for 20 minutes. When removed it should be golden and puffed up.
7
Increase the oven to 200°C (fan). Spoon the cooked red onions onto the pastry, within the border. The weight of the onions will collapse the pastry but it will be cooked properly. Cover the onions with the Parmigiano Reggiano then sprinkle the thyme leaves on top.
8
Give the border another egg wash then return to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove when lightly browned on top.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is a traditional raw cow’s milk hard cheese from northern Italy.
Historically, it dates back to the Middle Ages when Benedictine and Cistercian monks were the first producers. They were committed to developing a long-lasting cheese, using salt from the Salsomaggiore salt mines.
Since 1996, the European Union has bestowed this Italian hard cheese with a Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) stamp. In essence, this stamp ensure that only cheeses that are made according to strict regulations can bear the name.
Recipe
Parmigiano Reggiano & Onion Tart
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 50 g butter unsalted
- 1 kg red onion peeled and sliced lengthways
- 1 pack puff pastry rolled and buttered
- 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves only, picked from 6-8 sprigs
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- rock salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- olive oil
- plain flour
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan).
- Melt the butter in a heavy pan and sauté the onions over a low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until completely softened.50 g butter, 1 kg red onion
- Season with salt and pepper during and then check the seasoning at the end, as the eventual sweetness of the onions needs enough salt to balance the taste.rock salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Whilst the onions are cooking, prepare the pastry base. Oil an approx. 35cm x 25cm baking dish and dust with flour. Unroll the pastry and place on the baking sheet.1 pack puff pastry, olive oil, plain flour
- With a sharp knife, score a 1-2 cm border around the edge of the pastry and prick within the border with a fork. Brush the border with egg.1 egg
- Bake at 180°C (fan) for 20 minutes. When removed it should be golden and puffed up
- Increase the oven to 200°C (fan). Spoon the cooked red onions onto the pastry, within the border. The weight of the onions will collapse the pastry but it will be cooked properly. Cover the onions with the Parmigiano Reggiano then sprinkle the thyme leaves on top100 g Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- Give the border another egg wash then return to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove when lightly browned on top.
One of my favourite cheeses and I absolutely love this recipe. Thank you for sharing