Blue cheese & pine nut tart

Tarta de queso azul con piñones

SERVES 6–8

olive oil, for greasing

1 sheet of frozen shortcrust (pie) pastry, thawed

2 large free-range eggs, whisked

180 g (6 oz) fresh soft cheese (such as requesón or ricotta)

180 g (6 oz) quark or crème fraîche

150 g (5½ oz) blue cheese (such as roquefort, Danish blue or gorgonzola), crumbled

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

5–6 piquillo peppers (or use 1 large roasted red capsicum/pepper), torn into strips

100 g (3½ oz/ ²/₃ cup) pine nuts, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inch) loose-based flan (tart) tin or quiche dish with olive oil, coating the grooved edges well.

Place the pastry sheet in the dish and gently push into shape using your fingers. Run a sharp knife around the rim to trim the excess pastry. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Cover the dish with a large sheet of baking paper. Pour in uncooked rice or dried beans and spread over the base evenly. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and carefully remove the paper and rice or beans. Return the dish to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. (You can use the rice grains or dried beans for blind baking again so keep them in a sealed container when cooled.)

Keep the oven on, at the same temperature, while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, soft cheese, quark, blue cheese, salt and peppers. Pour into the pastry case and scatter over the pine nuts.

Bake the tart on the middle shelf of the oven for 35–40 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch. (Cover with foil if the pastry is becoming too dark towards the end of the cooking time; in some ovens, cooking for a further 5–10 minutes may be necessary.)

Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool for 15–20 minutes; it may deflate a little during this time but will still look and taste wonderful.