Wusthof Spiral Tart

Wusthof Spiral Tart

We've been absolutely obsessed with this one lately. A spiral tart sounds fancy but honestly it's one of those recipes that looks so impressive on the table and tastes even better than it looks. You get this gorgeous layered spiral of veg sitting on a punchy passata base with a little heat from the chilli flakes, all wrapped up in buttery, flaky pastry. It's the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself making again two weeks later because everyone keeps asking for it. Get this one in the oven tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 60 min
Serves 6

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • 28cm tart tin
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Rolling pin
  • Large bowl filled with water
  • Kitchen paper

Ingredients

  • 320g ready-rolled plant-based shortcrust pastry sheets
  • flour for dusting
  • 80g tomato passata
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 30g fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 aubergines
  • 4 large carrots
  • 3 courgettes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

Prepare the tart

  • Unravel the pastry and roll it out on the floured work surface until it's roughly 5mm thick
  • Drape it over the rolling pin and lift it into the tin
  • Gently press the pastry into the edges of the tin with your fingers to line the base and sides
  • Use a knife to cut off the excess at the top of the tin
  • Spoon the passata on to the base and spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon
  • Sprinkle over the chilli flakes
  • Pick the basil leaves from the bunch and arrange them in an even layer all over the base
  • Drizzle over the balsamic glaze and set aside
2

Prepare the vegetables

  • Trim the ends from the aubergines, carrots and slice the aubergine in half lengthways
  • Use a vegetable peeler to slice into thin ribbons and put them into the bowl filled with water to soak for about 3 minutes (this makes them more supple and easier to shape)
  • Remove and pat dry with kitchen paper
3

Arrange the tart

  • Take 1 ribbon of each of the vegetables and lay them on top of one another, first courgette, then carrot, then aubergine
  • Roll them up into a tight spiral top resemble a rose
  • Place the spiral in the middle of the tart
  • Start spiralling the ribbons tightly from the central rose all the way out to the edges, rotating from courgette, to carrot, to aubergine
4

Finish and bake

  • Once the tart is completely full of vegetables, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil
  • Put the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes
  • Test and if you prefer softer vegetables, cover with foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes
  • Take the tin out of the oven and slide the tart out of the tin
  • Bring your work of art to the table so that everyone can take a photo, then carefully cut into slices with a VERY sharp knife

Tips & Variations

  • Take your time with the lining: Press the pastry gently and carefully into the edges of the tin with your fingers. Rushing this is how you get cracks and gaps, and nobody wants a leaky tart.
  • Slice your veg nice and thin: The thinner and more even your slices, the tighter and more beautiful your spiral will be. A mandoline makes this so much easier if you've got one.
  • Let it rest before slicing: We know it's tempting to dive straight in, but give it 10 minutes out of the oven and it'll hold together so much better when you cut it.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting your pastry rolled to that sweet spot of about 5mm, thin enough to crisp up beautifully but thick enough to hold all that filling without going soggy. The passata base is doing a lot of work too, it seasons everything from the bottom up and keeps things lovely and moist. Trust us on the chilli flakes, don't skip them, they cut through the richness perfectly.