Sundried tomato and pancetta quiche with parmesan pastry

Cook: 20 mins

The Parmesan in the pastry gives this quiche a little twist. When entertaining, I love to make individual tartlets, as they are more impressive. If you don’t like goat’s cheese, you could use a soft Brie cheese instead.

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

100g butter, chilled and diced

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

1⁄2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1 egg yolk, beaten

2–3 tbsp chilled water (you may need less)

For the filling:

4 sundried tomatoes, chopped

2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks

100g pancetta, cubed

150ml cream

100g crème fraîche

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

100g soft goat’s cheese green salad, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease a 23cm flan tin with a removable base or 6 x 9cm tartlet tins.

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, Parmesan and thyme and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and just enough water to form a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry until it’s slightly larger than the tin. Line the tin with the pastry and trim the edges. Place a circle of parchment paper over the pastry and fill with baking beans.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and return to the oven for 2 minutes to crisp the base. Set aside.

For the filling, place all the ingredients except for the goat’s cheese into a large bowl and mix gently. Pour the filling into the pastry case and divide the goat’s cheese over the top.

Bake the quiche for 20–25 minutes, or until the filling is set. Serve warm or cold with a green salad.

Serves
6-8

Cooking Time
20 minutes

Main ingredients
Dairy, Eggs, Cheese, Pork, Vegetables

Recipe Type
Starters, Party Food, Entertaining

Special Info
Nut free

Level of Difficulty
Medium

Bake your pastry case in advance and have it ready for the filling. A microplane grater is ideal for grating the Parmesan.