Mushroom Walnut Pesto Tart
By
Calling all mushroom fans!
My award-winning pesto tart took home first-prize in a Mushroom Canada competition a few years ago. It takes a bit of time to prepare, but the wait is worth it once you sink your teeth into your first crispy, savory bite. If you don’t want to make a phyllo tart you can simply spread the pesto onto crostini or try tossing the pesto with pasta and sauteed mushrooms for an elegant dinner.
Yield
12-15 squares
Prep Time
45 Minutes
Cook time
29 Minutes
Total Time
1 Hour, 14 Minutes
Ingredients:
For the pesto:
- 2 garlic cloves
- 20 oz (~1.25 lb) sliced crimini mushrooms, divided
- 2/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts, divided
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2-3/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the tart:
- 7-8 Phyllo Pastry sheets
- Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing sheets
- 1 red onion, sliced into long strands
- Remaining crimini mushrooms
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Thaw Phyllo dough according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, sauté the sliced red onion in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Stir often for about 30 minutes. In another skillet, sauté the sliced mushrooms in 1-2 tsp olive oil for about 20 minutes or until the water cooks out.
- With the food processor running, drop 2 peeled garlic cloves in and process until chopped. Add in 1 cup (saving the rest for the tart) sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, and water and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Now add in the rest of the ingredients (using only 1/3 cup walnuts) and process until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup walnuts. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Place 1 sheet of Phyllo dough onto prepared baking sheet. Brush or spray on oil. Repeat for 7 layers. Carefully fold each side inward to form a crust. With a fork, poke lots of holes all over the phyllo to allow air to escape. You can also weigh it down with pie weights. Bake at 350°F for about 18-20 mins until golden.
- After cooling the phyllo for 5 mins, carefully spread on all of the pesto, top with the remaining mushrooms and onion. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves. Cut into squares and serve immediately.