Red Pepper, Broccoli, and Gruyère Tart

Sometimes there's nothing better than a savory, flaky tart to look forward to at the end of the day… especially on a dreaded Monday! I usually try to make Monday's dinner on Sunday, because I know that by the time I arrive home from work I am usually too tired to contemplate cooking. 

This tart reheats well and goes perfectly with a simple arugula salad. It really is perfect for a harried weekday evening when you want a good meal without effort. That's not to say it doesn't suck up a chunk of Sunday, but cooking always feels so much more fun and relaxed on the weekend.  I wanted something vegetarian, but this would be great with a bit of bacon or proscuitto thrown into the mix—of course I might have been feeling guilty about my all-butter crust when I decided to make it veggie. Or perhaps it was the waiting heap of shredded Gruyère...

I spent a few days last month visiting an old friend in Switzerland, the home of Gruyère—and I've been craving it (and Swiss chocolate) since returning home. 

The Gruyère works perfectly in this tart, but you can swap it for any semi-soft cheese depending on your taste. And of course you don't have to make your own pie crust, in fact if you had a store-bought one on hand, this dinner would be pretty simple to whip together on a Monday night.

Red Pepper, Broccoli and Gruyère Tart

Pie crust

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1 stick of butter cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water

Tart:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

3/4 cup broccoli

1 tsp Pimenton de la vera (Smoked Spanish Paprika)

3 eggs

3/4 cup shredded Gruyère or your favorite cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°

To make the pie crust; combine the flour in salt in the bowl of a mixer using the dough hook. Slowly add the butter and ice water and mix until combined. Remove from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, ideally 2 hours. 

Roll out the dough and place in a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom and place a circle of parchment on the bottom. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes; before putting the tart in the oven line the base with parchment or foil and fill with rice or dried beans so that the base doesn't rise while baking. You'll also need to put your tart pan on a baking sheet to cook.

To make the filling; Sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium-low heat. After 5 minutes add the peppers and pimenton de la vera, and cook for another 10 minutes until soft, then add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and 1/4 cup of the gruyere together, season lightly with salt and pepper.

Once the blind-baking is complete, remove your baking weights and fill the center with the cooked vegetables, pour the egg and cheese mixture on top, distributing as evenly as possible, and sprinkle the whole pie with the rest of the Gruyère. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Cool before removing from pan and eating.The tart will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.