Fresh Tomato Tart is a luscious creamy based tart topped with flavorful garden fresh tomatoes in a flaky puff pastry crust. It’s a snap to make and is an absolutely delicious way to use the bright red tomatoes from your garden.
Ingredients for Fresh Tomato Tart:
I used the following ingredients: Frozen puff pastry sheet, homemade ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil for garnish. You could use store-bought ricotta cheese, but homemade is so much better and is so easy to make!
Making the Fresh Tomato Tart:
I used a 14 x 4.5-inch tart pan with a removable bottom for the tart. I could have also used a 9-inch tart pan. First, I rolled a thawed sheet of puff pastry to about 15 inches on a floured surface. Then, I fitted the puff pastry into the tart pan, and ran a rolling pin along the top to trim the excess pastry. After pricking the bottom of the pastry with a fork, I lined it with parchment paper and dried beans to weigh it down. Next, I popped it into a preheated 400° F oven for about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, I removed parchment paper and beans. The crust was perfectly set!
While the crust was baking, I cut the tomatoes into ¼-inch slices. I placed the tomatoes on paper towels, sprinkled salt on the top, and let them sit for about 30 minutes. The reason for doing this was to remove excess moisture from the tomatoes. After 30 minutes, I blotted the tomatoes with additional paper towels.
While the tomatoes were sitting, I made the creamy base. I combined the ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a bowl.
Once the crust had cooled for about 10 minutes, I spread the creamy base on the bottom. Then, I layered the tomato slices on top. Finally, I drizzled some olive oil mixed with minced garlic on top.
I baked the tart in a preheated 375° F oven for about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, the creamy base was bubbly and the tart was perfectly cooked. Before serving the tart, I sprinkled some fresh basil on top. I served it as a light brunch entrée with a salad. It was absolutely delicious. Yum!
Fresh Tomato Tart in Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ricotta cheese homemade if possible
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Roll puff pastry to desired dimensions on floured surface to fit into either a rectangular tart pan with removable bottom or round tart pan. Line tart pan with pastry; trim pastry. Line pastry with parchment paper filled with dried beans or other pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes in preheated 400° F oven. Remove from oven; remove parchment paper and dried beans. Let cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice tomatoes ¼-inch thick; spread the tomatoes out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Gently blot the tops of the tomatoes dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and garlic; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil together.
- Reduce oven heat to 375° F.
- Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Shingle the tomatoes attractively on top of the ricotta mixture. Drizzle the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the tomatoes.
- Bake the tart until the cheese is bubbling and the tomatoes are slightly wilted, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Allow he tart cool slightly on a wire rack for 5 minutes; sprinkle with the basil. Remove the tart from the tart pan and transfer to a serving platter or cutting board.
- Yield: 4 servings.
This looks delicious and different from the tomato pie I usually make. I didn’t plant any tomatoes this year (usually plant heirlooms) but I am having no trouble finding heirlooms at Fresh Market. I now know that I MUST make my own Ricotta from now on, worth the effort so you say. You’ve convinced me. This tomato tart will be on my menu this week. Will add ingredients to my grocery list that I don’t have. My basil in my garden isn’t looking so great, it needs more water than I have been giving it and they have not been planted too long. I do love a good tomato tart and I have two of those rectangular tart pans with the removable bottoms. Plan to make your enchilada’s this week too and have made your stuffed shells. They were fantastic. Made a pan for my daughter too, her two little girls loved them. I suspect they will want me to share the enchilada’s too but I love sharing what I cook. That Tomato Onion and Cucumber Summer Salad sounds really good as well, must add those ingredients to my already long grocery list. You are sharing some of the most fantastic recipes, keep them coming sister.
Carolyn Haley
Wow, I didn’t know that Fresh Market sold heirloom tomatoes. I’m going to check that out! We’re planning on trying to grow more tomatoes this fall from seeds. I’ve read that one of the problems with growing tomatoes when it gets hot is that pollination doesn’t occur because pollen becomes gummy.
You’ll be amazed at how good the homemade Ricotta cheese is, and how easy it is to make. Susan eats it like ice cream! Chula
Can you make this in a pan other than a tart pan?
Absolutely! I just used the rectangular tart pan because that’s what I had. You could use a pie pan, or even do it free-form.
Thank you! Defrosting the puff pastry so that I can make this tomorrow. I have made something similar to homemade ricotta for Indian cooking called Paneer. It is so yummy when you make it at home.
I totally agree!
This is amazing…..drizzle a little balsamic vinegar, heaven!
Yum – I didn’t think about drizzling it with balsamic vinegar! I’ll definitely do that the next time I make the tomato tart.
What could I use in place of ricotta ?
I’ve used cream cheese in place of the ricotta. It produces a bit of a stronger taste, but was still good!
YOU bake the pastry for 25 mins and then another 25 Mins? And the pastry doesn’t get too brown?
You would think that the pastry would get too brown, but it really doesn’t. With the pan filled with parchment paper and dried beans (I use dried beans for pie weights), the pastry really doesn’t brown much during the first 25 minutes.
Great! Thanks.
I made this as an appetizer for Easter, I will be making this a lot more it is absolutely delicious
Shirley,
The Fresh Tomato Tart in Puff Pastry is one of my favorites. So glad that you liked it!
Chula
Wow, Chula! I’ve been looking at this recipe for a few months and finally got the nerve up to make it. Making the ricotta from scratch was well worth the effort. Thank you so much for creating what is sure to become a new family favorite.
Thank you so much Alison! I totally agree that making ricotta from scratch is worth the effort. In the past, I wouldn’t bother making anything that called for ricotta because the supermarket ricotta was, well, nasty in my opinion! Anyway, once I started making my own ricotta, I never looked back.
I’m so that that this recipe turned out for you!
Chula
Can you freeze this dish. This way you can make it Ahead of a time?
Thanks
Hi Nina,
I’ve never frozen the tomato tart ahead of time, so don’t know if it would work or not. However, I’m not sure how the tomatoes would work out being frozen. Sorry.
Chula
Thank you so much
Delicious
I always not only drain my meat, but rinse it with hot water. This will get all of the grease off. Then I leave it sitting in the collander over couple of paper towels for a few minutes to get as much water off as it can. Then I will bag or freeze it.And we always do salt, pepper, and garlic in all of our ground beef recipes.Jayme Silvestri
Served this recipe at a dinner with friends. Everyone absolutely loved it.
Added a bit of balsamic glazed. It was absolutely delicious.
Manon,
The balsamic glaze sounds yummy! I’ll have to try that the next time I make the fresh tomato tart.
Thanks so much for letting me know that it was a success.
Chula
Can I bake the puff pastry pie base earlier – like a couple of hours earlier and keep it to be used say 6 hours later ?
Sandra,
I haven’t tried baking the puff pastry pie base earlier in the day. The main hesitation that I would have is that sometimes as the puff pastry base cools, it starts to crack.
Chula
Can I make this and take it to a get together or will it get soggy
Marilyn,
I’ve not made this ahead of time so can’t say for sure whether it would get soggy. However, given the ingredients, especially the tomatoes, my guess is that it would become soggy. Sorry.