Hugo Guest, chef and owner of award-winning guest house and restaurant Glebe House, loves this hugely adaptable recipe for lunches or family dinners. Hugo like's to make this tart in the style of a galette and finds that ricotta forms a great base and is a blank canvas for any seasonal vegetables. For this recipe Hugo chose courgette, ricotta and anchovies, but he’s also made the same tart with thinly sliced tomatoes, sliced squash or wilted chard. You can make it in advance and heat it through in the oven before serving.

For the filling  

What you'll need:

• 160g ricotta  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, reserve half for egg wash 
• 30g Parmesan, grated 
• A good pinch of flaky sea salt  
• 1 lemon, zested, plus 1–2 tsp of the juice 
• 1 garlic clove, grated 
• A generous pinch of freshly chopped thyme  
• 5 anchovies, finely chopped  
• Black pepper, to taste 

For the courgettes  

What you'll need:

• 400g of mixed heritage courgettes (different shapes and colours make for a more interesting finish)  
• A generous pinch of flaky sea salt 
• A splash of olive oil  

For the tart base  

What you'll need: 

• 250g flaky pastry (see recipe below) or ready-made puff pastry 

What to do 

1. In a bowl, combine the ricotta with half of the egg. Stir in the Parmesan, sea salt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, thyme and anchovies, and season with black pepper.

2. Thinly slice the courgettes (into approximately half-centimetre rounds). Toss these with the salt and place them in a colander to drain for thirty minutes. After draining, gently press out excess moisture and toss the rounds with olive oil.

3. Set your oven to 220°C (200°C for fan ovens) and let it preheat.

4. Roll the dough into a rectangle or circular (depending on preference), aiming for the thickness of a £1 coin. On the dough, spread the ricotta mixture evenly, stopping about 3.5cm from the edge. Layer the courgettes on top then drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling to create a crust and brush the folded edge with the remaining egg.

5.  Lower the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C for fan ovens). Place the tart in the oven and bake for forty–fifty minutes until it turns golden brown. Ensure the base is completely cooked by lifting it slightly to check. If the top browns too quickly, cover it with foil.

6. 6. Allow the galette to cool slightly, then serve with some nice seasonal leaves and fresh herbs. To reheat, place the galette in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) for about ten–fifteen

Flaky pastry recipe 

What you'll need: 

• 320g strong white flour 
• 250g unsalted butter (cold, cut into small cubes) 
• 80ml ice-cold water 
• 6g salt 

What to do:

1. Place the flour, butter, and water individually in the freezer for about ten–fifteen minutes to get them very cold.
2. That done, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and, using your hands, squash them into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs – you still want to be able to see chunks of butter through the mix. 
3. Gradually add the ice-cold water, mixing gently with a fork until the dough starts to come together. Don’t overwork the dough to keep it flaky.
4. Gather the dough into a ball and roll it into a forty-centimetre-long rectangle (or as close as you can get to a rectangle). Perform a double fold by folding both edges into the middle and then folding it over itself again. Rest the dough for thirty minutes in the fridge and repeat the process. The pastry will keep well-wrapped in the fridge for up to a week.