Parmesan, Pancetta and Courgette Quiche (Gluten Free)

The filling only uses four eggs (rather than the large quantities you sometimes need for dishes of this type), mixed with milk and double cream to create more volume. The result is a soft texture that contrasts perfectly with that pastry shell.

1 knob butter
1 large red onion, diced
1 medium courgette
8 rashers pancetta, chopped (100 g)
1 recipe gluten free short crust pastry (~ 400 g)
1 cup semi-skimmed milk (250 mL)
½ cup heavy cream (125 mL)
4 medium eggs + 1 egg, for glazing
black pepper, freshly ground
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (50 g)

Add a knob of butter to a small saucepan and cook in a small saucepan over a low heat . Cook gently and slowly so the onion develops a caramelised flavour.

Cut the courgette into ribbons using a potato peeler - be careful to get nice long, thick strips. Pan fry these strips briefly for a minute or two to get rid of the excess liquid and then set aside on a kitchen towel. Roll up into roses once they are cool enough to touch.

Cook in a pan to crisp up any fat - you want the pancetta to be slightly golden and crispy. Set aside on some kitchen towel to absorb any excess fat.

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Prepare the Gluten Free Short Crust Shell:
Take a loose bottom pastry tin and line the base with greaseproof paper and butter the sides.

Place a 30 cm piece of cling film onto your worktop and dust well with gluten free flour. Pop the chilled short crust pastry dough on top of the cling film, then greaseproof paper on top of the dough.

Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out to 0.5 cm thick in a large circular shape - wide enough to completely cover the tart tin and sides. If there’s any breaking or uneven edges you can just patch them up easily with other pieces of pastry.

Carefully ease the side of the pastry onto the floured rolling pin, then carefully slide onto the tart tin. Gently tuck the pastry into the tin, pressing down to completely cover the base and around the sides. Use a sharp knife to slice off any excess pastry (you can save these offcuts in the fridge for later use). You should be left with a nice, neat edge.

Blind Bake:
Use a fork to gently prick holes in the base of the pastry tart. Place the used greaseproof paper on top of the pastry and tin, adding baking beads to fill so that you can “blind bake” the tart. Place it into the oven to blind bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, lift out the baking beads and greaseproof paper.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes more. Then remove from the oven and set aside while you finish the filling.

Make your Filling:
Mix the milk, cream, eggs, black pepper together in a bowl. Add the Parmesan, pancetta and onion. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into pastry case, using a spoon to ensure the pancetta and onion and evenly distributed across the base. Arrange courgettes “flowers” on top, allowing them to sink gently into the mix - try and have some poking out of the surface as this will look pretty when baked.

Put the filled gluten free tart back in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until set. It should be golden on top, but not overly browned.

Once cooked, either transfer to a wire rack to allow the gluten free tart to cool or serve warm. This tart is wonderful either way. Serve with a zesty salad for a light summer lunch, or with new potatoes and peas for a warming meal.