Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake

I looooove regular cheesecake and so was super intrigued by this savoury vegetable cheesecake I discovered in the wonderful The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest. The cheese used is mostly ricotta with some mozzarella and parmesan. The vegetables are zucchini, onions, carrot, parsley, garlic and tomato. Add in some salt, pepper and herbs, put it in a cheesecake pan, bake it and you have savoury vegetable cheesecake!

It was really yummy, and I love this idea for a vegetarian main (and will likely make more savoury cheesecakes in the future). But I do think it needs the tang and uncreamyness (totally made that word up) of tomato sauce to complement it because it's so rich. I ended up eating it with red sauce and pasta all mixed together - so basically like a broken down lasagna. Let me know if you have a good savoury cheesecake recipe! I'd love to try out a different version.

Abby feet!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Butternut Squash Casserole
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Feta and Ricotta Cheese Pie

Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake
Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Serves 6 (but would serve more if you ate it with pasta as I did)

3 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 3 or 4 small zucchini)
a little salt
a little oil for the pan
1 tsp olive oil
1 minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated carrot
2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (could omit this)
3 cups (1 1/2 lbs) ricotta cheese
1 packed cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 beaten eggs
black pepper to taste
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced into rounds, with each round sliced in half (into "Ds")

1. Place the grated zucchini in a colander over a sink. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, carrot, flour, and dried herbs, and cook, stirring over medium heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in garlic, parsley, and lemon juice.

4. Place the cheeses and eggs in a large bowl, and beat vigorously for a minute or two. Add the vegetable mixture, and mix well. Season to taste with black pepper, and adjust salt, if necessary.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Arrange the tomato "Ds" in a lovely pattern on the top.

6. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes. Cool for at least 20 minutes before remove the sides of the pan. Serve at any temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.