Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This fresh tomato tart with herbed ricotta tastes like summer on a flaky puff pastry crust. It’s easy to make and visually stunning. It can be served as an appetizer or a lovely side dish.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, parchment paper
Servings: 12
Summer Tomato Tart
This tomato tart is so beautiful but it’s really easy to make. The key is to use colorful vine-ripened summer tomatoes. A tomato tart is the perfect way to utilize those gorgeous tomatoes from the farmer’s market. (The really dark red tomatoes in the photos are kumato tomatoes.)
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Tomato Tart Basics
This fresh tomato tart starts with frozen puff pastry. It’s a great thing to have on hand (you can use it for this asparagus tart, too), and the frozen pastry thaws super quickly at room temperature.
When the tart is thawed, I roll it out a little using a rolling pin and parchment paper. This makes it a little bigger so there’s more room for all the good stuff!
Score the edges to make a crust and then poke the crust (not the edges) all over with a fork. This keeps the pastry from puffing up as much as the rest, so you get that nice crust all the way around the edge. As you can see from the photo below, perfection is not necessary here.
While you bake the crust, you can prep the ricotta filling. It’s super fresh and flavorful thanks to lots of lemon and fresh herbs. I use my favorite trifecta of herbs: parsley, chives, and mint. (You’ll find the same trio in this addicting feta dip recipe.)
The fresh mint throws in a little curveball for people. They always ask, “What’s in this? It’s so good!” Same with the feta dip, trust me on this one. You don’t want to get carried away and put too much mint in, because it has a pretty dominant flavor.
When the flaky, irresistible puff pastry has cooled down, spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the pastry. Next, you get to become an artist with the tomatoes, arranging them however way you think looks best. Sprinkle with extra herbs (I went with mint), and drizzle with the best extra virgin olive oil you have. I usually finish it with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
This easy tomato tart is appetizer perfection and you are going to L-O-V-E it. If you want to get a head start, you can bake the pastry earlier in the day, and make the filling. Right before you want to serve the tart, spread the filling on the crust, and arrange the tomatoes.
More Appetizer Recipes
Fresh Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed according to package instructions)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint (more for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from same lemon)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or ⅛ teaspoon fine ground pepper)
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or as desired)
- 16 ounces assorted heirloom tomatoes (thinly sliced)
- good quality extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, fresh herbs (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Unfold the sheet of thawed puff pastry on parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it out 1 to 2 inches larger, so it's roughly 12 x 13 inches. Transfer parchment and puff pastry to a large baking sheet.1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- Using a small knife, score (cut partway through, but do not cut completely through) making a ½ -inch border all the way around the puff pastry sheet. Inside the border, poke several holes in the puff pastry with a fork (see photo).
- Brush the outside edges with beaten egg.1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the puff pastry from the oven, and let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare ricotta filling. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Once the crust is cooled, spread the ricotta mixture in an even layer over it.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on the tart. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, cracked black pepper, and garnish with additional fresh herbs.16 ounces assorted heirloom tomatoes
- Best served immediately.
Notes
- Puff pastry: Frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm) is usually sold in a 17.3 ounce package containing 2 sheets of pastry that are wrapped individually.
- Pro tip: If the pastry puffs up too much in the center, carefully cut around edges where you scored the crust, and push down the middle to make room for the ricotta filling.
- Tomatoes: Choose vine-ripened tomatoes if you can find them. Heirloom tomatoes in assorted colors are the best choice. Slice the tomatoes thinly and arrange them on the tart in a visually appealing design.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I’m making this for a beach party I’m hosting and was thinking of cooking the crust the night before as well as preparing the ricotta mixture and assembling and cooking the tart the day of. Do you think this will be okay?
I think that would work well!
this looks so good
Thanks, Denise!