This radicchio and blue cheese tart is a flavourful vegetable pie that combines bitter radicchio – Italian chicory – with the mellow notes of blue cheese and walnuts. If you associate quiche with mildness, this radicchio tart will blow your mind. You may think this tart is rather thin, but every mouthful will surprise you with its full and complex flavour.
Radicchio is a special ingredient. Very prized in Italian cooking, it somehow possesses an aura of mystery abroad. In Sweden it’s very difficult to come by. I find it really beautiful, with its reddish purple colour. While some people like it in salads, I personally find it too bitter to eat raw. So I always end up cooking it.
Cooked radicchio may lose its purple hue (it turns a rather unattractive shade of brown) but along with it goes away the bitterness. Expose radicchio to heat and you will unlock a unique flavour. One that pairs sinfully well with blue cheese and walnuts. The combination in this radicchio and blue cheese tart.
Radicchio and blue cheese tart ingredients
For detailed quantities, please refer to the recipe card below. You can change the whole recipe from metric to US customary by simply clicking a button in the recipe card, for easier conversion. Read ahead for step-by-step instructions and pictures.
There are various types of radicchio, and any type will work great in this recipe. In this photo shoot (and recipe) I have used the round radicchio di Chioggia. Another variety that is commonly found is the elongated one that is known as radicchio di Treviso.
Choose any blue cheese you like. If you want to keep your recipe on the Italian side, gorgonzola is an excellent choice. I generally love pairing radicchio with Saint Agur, as I find it sweeter and a nice contrast to the bitter veggie. I also prefer a blue cheese that is easy to crumble than a creamier one.
I may have tried to convince you in other tart posts that I neve use store-bought shortcrust. I’m obviously lying trying to convince you to make it from scratch yourself. Just like everyone else I don’t always have the time to make everything from scratch, so please enjoy a tart made with a shortcrust pastry from the store.
Step by step instructions
- Cut your radicchio in half lengthways, place it on a cutting board with the cut facing down and slice it up. Warm the oil in a pan and add the sliced radicchio. Sauté on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until wilted. Add a sprinkle of salt.
- Press a shortcrust pastry shell onto a tart pan and spread the cooked radicchio all over the crust. Add the chopped walnuts and crumble the cheese making sure to aim for having all three flavours in every mouthful.
- Crack the eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk them with a fork. Add the salt and milk and whisk until homogeneous. Pour egg mixture all over the other ingredients, making sure it will reach out to the sides of the tart. Optionally, you can fold inwards the sides of the tart.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40-45 min, moving the tart to the top part of the oven for the last 10 min to get a little more colour if necessary. Take it out of the oven and let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions
One batch yields one tart. Being rather thin, it will feed 2-3 as a main course, preferably with a light side dish. But this radicchio tart is very versatile and can as well work as a starter. Cut it in 12-14 slices and serve it along with other finger foods as appetizer.
The first time I made this recipe I was been dubious whether it should be this thin. Quiches usually have that nice and thick layer of eggs with the cheese and the other ingredients mixed in. But the moment I tasted this radicchio quiche I was sure I had done the right thing. This tart is so rich that bigger mouthfuls would feel too much. Sure, it could yield more portions. But radicchio, blue cheese and walnuts are all pretty expensive ingredients I felt like there was really no need to double things up.
If you feel like having a very rich pie, go ahead and double up the ingredients. In that case I’d suggest using a homemade pie dough, so you can make it slightly thicker (blind bake it for 15 minutes before filling, also). I feel like store-bought might just be too thin and the pastry-to-filling ratio would be imbalanced in a thicker pie.
You may also like
If you have enjoyed this recipe, you may want to take a look at these, too:
- Radicchio risotto with walnuts and red wine
- Zucchini and feta quiche
- Leek and mushroom tart
- Sweet potato and goat cheese quiche
- Onion and cottage cheese tart
If you enjoyed this radicchio and blue cheese tart recipe, leave a comment below. If you’re planning to make this recipe at a later time you can pin it to Pinterest. Please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Pinterest. Until next time!
Radicchio and blue cheese quiche
Ingredients
- 1 shortcrust pastry case
- 1 radicchio round or elongated
- 40 g walnuts
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g blue cheese
- 200 ml milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut the radicchio in half lengthways, place cut-down on a cutting board and slice up. Warm the oil in a pan and add the sliced radicchio. Sauté on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until wilted. Stir in a sprinkle of salt and remove from the heat.
- Press a shortcrust pastry shell onto a tart pan and spread the cooked radicchio all over the crust. Coarsely chop the walnuts and sprinkle over shortcrust pastry. Top with crumbled blue cheese evenly distributed.
- Crack the eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Add the salt and milk and whisk until homogeneous. Pour egg mixture into the shortcrust case all over the other ingredients, reaching out to the sides of the tart.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40-45 min, moving the tart to the top part of the oven for the last 10 min to get a little more colour if necessary. Take it out of the oven and let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
One of our favorite pasta sauces is radicchio and Gorgonzola cheese. So why not a tart? I can’t wait to try this, Eva.
Oh sounds amazing also with pasta, indeed!