Ina Garten's Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tart Recipe on a cooling rack with a spatula and on two mismatched plates

Ina Garten’s goat cheese and zucchini tart recipe with a few simple changes that make it less time-consuming and perfect for summer entertaining! And they are full of flavor too. We make this for lunch or dinner with a green salad. The wonderful thing about these upside-down puff pastry tarts is that they are delicious right out of the oven or served at room temperature.

What you will need to make these tarts:

Sheet of puff pastry
Zucchini and yellow squash
Goat cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & black pepper
Lemon juice & lemon zest
Fresh thyme
All-purpose flour
Egg

The tools you will need:

Colander set
Large bowl
Sharp knife or Mandolin
Rolling pin
Clean dish towels or paper towels
Parchment paper
Sheet pan
Pastry brush

How to make the tarts:

With Ina’s recipe, you would also need to make dough for the crust, but we are taking a shortcut and using puff pastry. These upside-down puff pastry tarts have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram for good reason! Making a crust takes time; thawing out one sheet of puff pastry takes minutes on a hot summer day. In fact, it takes such little time that you may have to chill it again in the fridge for a tiny bit while you get the ingredients together!

The first thing you will need to do:

Prepare your puff pastry. Cut one sheet into six rectangles with a sharp knife and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a small or medium bowl, prepare the goat cheese mixture with lemon zest and fresh thyme leaves.
Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into thin slices using a sharp knife or a mandolin.
Arrange the zucchini and yellow squash slices in a single layer in a colander(s) and salt so that they release the water.

The steps in photos making Ina Garten’s zucchini and goat cheese tart using puff pastry

Zucchini, summer squash, goat cheese, and fresh thyme leaves are used to make a puff pastry lunch.

Zucchini and summer squash have been sliced on a small, wooden cutting board. A knife rests on the cutting board.

Extra virgin olive oil has been poured on a sheet of parchment paper.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Parchment, with rows of thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash

Ina Garten's Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tart on Baking Sheet with Parchment paper.

A 2-inch border around all sides of the puff pastries has been created using the tines of a fork for Ina Garten's Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tart on Baking Sheet with Parchment paper.

Ina Garten's Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tarts have been baked and are cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Ina Garten's Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tart on cooling rack and ready for serving.

Why make this into a tart using puff pastry over traditional pastry?

The good news is that both are delicious, but if you are looking for a time-saver, choose buttery puff pastry every time. Sure, you could buy a pie crust to save time, but puff pastry also bakes a lot faster too. The most time-consuming part of the recipe is waiting for the zucchini and yellow squash to drain in the colander and then on a clean dish towel.

A puff pastry tart with zucchini is served on a black ironstone vintage plate. A napkin sits next to the plate.

Two puff pastry tarts on vintage plates sit on a marbled countertop with linen napkins and vintage silver knives and forks.

What part can I make ahead?

I love when I can make a recipe or at least part of the recipe ahead of time. In some places, apparently, puff pastry comes in turnover size. I have yet to find this in my local grocery stores, but buying puff pastry in small sheets would be a time saver. Or you could cut the sheet of puff pastry into six rectangles, layer each piece between parchment paper, and freeze in a freezer bag until ready.

You can get the goat cheese mixture ready, and then it’s just waiting time for the zucchini!

Ina Garten’s Goat Cheese and Zucchini Tart Recipe

puff pastry tart with zucchini on black ironstone vintage plate

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Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Lunch or Dinner
Method: Bake
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

One whole tart sheet puff pastry
4 ounces of goat cheese (softened a bit)
One each, zucchini and yellow squash (same size)
Lemon zest from one lemon
1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Fresh thyme leaves (divided, some will be used to mix with the goat cheese and the rest will be for a garnish)
1 egg for egg wash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

On a lightly floured surface or floured board, roll out one sheet of puff pastry and cut six rectangles. Put them on a plate with parchment paper cut into rectangles and place them between each puff pastry to ensure they do not stick together. Keep cold in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Slice thin circles of zucchini and yellow squash using a sharp knife or a Mandolin. Place in colanders and allow to drain onto a place for 30 minutes. Then place the rounds on a paper towel and pat dry with an additional towel.
In a small bowl, use a fork to toss and mix the goat cheese with some fresh thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small (you want a creamy goat cheese mixture). Set aside.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Pour a drizzle of (about 1/2 tablespoon) of extra-virgin olive oil in four places, evenly spaced. Or six if you are using a large baking sheet.
Layer the zucchini slices in two rows, forming a rectangle over the oil olive oil on the parchment paper.
Spread a quarter of the goat cheese mixture on the zucchini and yellow squash slices.
Cover with a puff pastry rectangle, pulling it gently to the size you need to cover the filling.
Using the tines of a fork, gently go around all four sides with the fork to form a 2-inch border, then prick the inside of each pastry, give each a little egg wash, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Pop them into a 350º oven for about 15-17 minutes. When they are golden brown, take them out and flip them over on the baking sheet. Crank the oven to broil and put them back in for a minute or two until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once they have cooled slightly, sprinkle with some fresh thyme. The sprinkle of fresh thyme makes the tarts look so beautiful, so please, don’t skip that part!
Enjoy!