Tomato Ricotta Tart

Ingredients

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane or finely minced
• 1 egg yolk
• 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg yolk, garlic, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, thyme, and grated Parmesan until everything is well mixed. Set the bowl aside.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Gently unroll the thawed phyllo, then keep it covered with a damp cloth while you put the crust together so the sheets stay flexible.
3. Coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet, just the bottom, with a little of the melted butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on the pan, brush it with butter, and add another phyllo sheet. Butter the second sheet as well, then scatter 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese over it. Keep building with the rest of the phyllo and butter, adding 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese to each alternating layer. Leave the final sheet plain, without butter on top.
4. Spoon the cheese mixture over the phyllo crust and smooth it out evenly. Lay the tomato slices over the cheese, then sprinkle the tomatoes with the thyme leaves and salt.
5. Bake the tart until the phyllo has turned crisp, about 30 minutes. The phyllo will pull in a little as it bakes and will not cover the full baking sheet anymore, so do not worry. Let the tart rest for about 5 minutes, then cut it into squares. A pizza wheel is a good tool for this. Serve right away or at room temperature; leftovers can be refrigerated, but the phyllo will lose its crunch.