Tomato Tart
This tomato tart is summer on a plate. An easy open tart recipe made with puff pastry fresh tomatoes and basil pesto it's simple but delicious.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple recipe
- The combination of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella is just perfection
- Bright and colourful in both looks and flavours
- Perfect as an appetizer or as a light summer meal
Ingredients you will need
To make my Tomato Tarts you will need:
- puff pastry
- cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- pesto
- mozzarella pearls
- pinenuts
- basil leaves
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
- Puff pastry: I use store-bought pastry but you could also make your own. I have also used gluten-free puff pastry with this recipe to great success.
- Cherry tomatoes: Any tomatoes will work, you will just need to roughly dice large tomatoes into smaller pieces. Colourful heirloom tomatoes look spectacular in the tarts.
- Pesto: Choose a good quality pesto I like to use one made with olive oil. Olive tapenade can also be a delicious base to these tarts.
- Mozzarella pearls: I love using fresh mozzarella cheese but this can be substituted for any mild-flavoured cheeses that melt well.
- Pinenuts: The crunch that pinenuts add to these tarts is nice, but could also be achieved with roasted pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- Basil leaves: The fresh basil leaves can be replaced with other herbs such as fresh thyme, fresh parsley, microgreens or baby spinach leaves.
Step-by-step instructions
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my tomato tarts, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F)/
Step one: Cut one sheet of puff pastry sheet in half. Cut the second pastry sheet into thin strips (approximately 1 cm wide).
Step two: Place your large rectangles of pastry on a lined baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a reusable liner. Brush the edges of your two pastry rectangles with a little water. These will be the base of your tarts. Layer the pastry strips around the edges of the tart bases. You should now have two 'tart shells'
Step three: Use a fork to prick the base of the tart shells. You want to do this multiple times, all over the base.
Step four: Bake the tart shells in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown.
Step five: While your pie crusts are baking, prep your tomatoes by cutting some in half. Do this in a variety of ways i.e. through the middle and some lengthways and some leave whole. Place the tomato slices in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Tear up your mozzarella.
Step six: When your tart bases come out of the oven, if the centre has puffed up use a fork or spoon to push the base back down, it does not mater if the pastry flakes a bit when you do this.
Top the tart bases with the pesto, the tomatoes and the mozzarella. Return the tarts to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is browned and tomatoes softened.
Step seven: Sprinkle the top of the tarts with pinenuts and finely sliced basil leaves.
Enjoy!
Top Tips
Here is how you can make these tomato tarts perfectly every time!
- Choose a good quality basil pesto, I like to look for one made with olive oil.
- I usually make this recipe as two large tarts, but you can absolutely use the same recipe to make individual tartlets.
- I have found the best way to reheat these tomato tarts is to use the reheat function in the air fryer, it keeps the pastry crisp.
FAQs
No, it is not advised to freeze tomato tart. The combination of tomatoes which have high moisture content with puff pastry results in a soggy crust when frozen.
Tomato tart goes well with a combination of salads, a hearty salad like a sweet potato salad or potato salad and a green salad.
Tomato Tart
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Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 500 grams cherry tomatoes
- 100 grams pesto half cup
- 100 grams mozzarella pearls
- 2 Tablespoons pinenuts
- 2 Tablespoons basil leaves finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F)/
- Cut one of your pastry sheets in half. Cut the second sheet into thin strips (approximately 1 cm wide).
- Brush the edges of your 2 pastry sheets with a little water. These will be the base of your tarts. Lie the pastry strips around the edges of the tart bases. You should now have two 'tart shells'
- Use a fork to prick the base of the tart shells. You want to do this multiple times, all over the base.
- Bake the tart shells in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown. When your tart bases come out of the oven, if the centre has puffed up use a fork or spoon to push the base back down, it does not matter if the pastry flakes a bit when you do this.
- While your tart bases are baking, prep your tomatoes by cutting some in half. Do this in a variety of ways i.e. through the middle and some lengthways and some leave whole. Place the tomato pieces in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Tear up your mozzarella.
- Top the tart bases with the pesto, the tomatoes and the mozzarella. Return the tarts to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is browned and tomatoes softened.
- Scatter the top of the tarts with pinenuts and finely sliced basil leaves.
Notes
- Choose a good quality basil pesto, I like to look for one made with olive oil.
- I usually make this recipe as two large tarts, but you can absolutely use the same recipe to make individual tartlets.
- It is not advised to freeze tomato tart. The combination of tomatoes which have high moisture content with puff pastry results in a soggy crust when frozen.
- I have found the best way to reheat these tomato tarts is to use the reheat function in the air fryer, it keeps the pastry crisp.
- Puff pastry: I use store-bought pastry but you could also make your own. I have also used gluten-free puff pastry with this recipe to great success.
- Cherry tomatoes: Any tomatoes will work, you will just need to roughly dice large tomatoes into smaller pieces. Colourful heirloom tomatoes look spectacular in the tarts.
- Pesto: Choose a good quality pesto I like to use one made with olive oil. Olive tapenade can also be a delicious base to these tarts.
- Mozzarella pearls: I love using fresh mozzarella cheese but this can be substituted for any mild-flavoured cheeses that melt well.
- Pinenuts: The crunch that pinenuts add to these tarts is nice, but could also be achieved with roasted pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- Basil leaves: The fresh basil leaves can be replaced with other herbs such as fresh thyme, fresh parsley, microgreens or baby spinach leaves.
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