How to Make the BEST Tomato Tart
Are you a tomato lover? Find that your garden is overflowing with them right now? OR want to get all the tomatoes eaten before they all leave for the season? I am raising my hand over here. Well, today, I am so delighted to share how to make the BEST tomato tart.
This was truly an accidental find. My husband rarely shares recipes with me…but, a video of someone creating a tomato tart appeared in my shared messages from him.
Oh. My. Goodness.
The tart began with an unusual crust made with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, polenta, flour and browned butter.
The inside of the tart?
A simple layering of tomatoes and sliced garlic sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil.
An EASY tomato tart.
Yes, please.
I am all in for easy.
So, prepping began this recipe.
I don’t know about you, but as a child, I learned that if I didn’t make sure I had ALL of the ingredients before I started, I might be met with disappointment. If there wasn’t someone available to rescue me to the store for ingredients, I may have had to toss out ingredients.
Has that happened to you before?
My first introduction to “mise en place”–the process of gathering all ingredients before beginning a recipe. Duly noted.
You might not have a tart pan with a removable bottom, but the right equipment made this recipe perfect. Here’s one similar to the one I love and never disappoints.
So…let’s make this tomato tart…
Begin with measuring all of your ingredients.
Next, let’s make the BEST cheesy crust.
Grate the cheese and then mix together with flour, polenta, sugar, salt and pepper.
Then, brown the butter and cool slightly before adding to the dry mixture.
Pour the browned butter and water over the crust ingredients and press together to make a crumbly mixture.
Press the pie crust into the 9″ pie tart pan, making sure that you have a great outer layer. Don’t skimp on the inside layer of pie crust making sure you have an even layer in the center.
Prick the crust with a fork and add to a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until crust is lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and add even layers of sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with a few sliced garlic cloves.
Sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper as you add layers to the pie…making sure you fill up the crust. Just a note: as tomatoes cook, they will shrink down, so plan accordingly.
Top with a bit of chopped capers, if desired. I loved their saltiness and flavor with the tomatoes.
Bake for about an hour, until tomatoes are caramelized and capers are toasty.
Let the tart cool for a few minutes before serving. Then remove from tin and grate fresh Parmesan cheese across the top.
DELICIOUS!
The crust is crunchy and the tomatoes jammy with the BEST flavor!
Here’s my version of the recipe so you can join me for all the fun!
The BEST Tomato Tart
Equipment
- 1 oven
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 9" tart pan
Ingredients
CRUST
- 6 T unsalted butter
- 1 C all purpose flour Gluten free if making gluten free
- 1/4 C polenta or corn meal
- 1 C Parmesan cheese, fresh and finely grated
- 1 t sugar
- 1 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1 t ground black pepper
TART
- 2 lbs. thinly sliced tomatoes, small or mixture of sizes
- 2-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 T olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 T capers, drained and coarsely chopped, optional
- Parmesan/herbs, for serving
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Mix together flour, polenta, Parmesan cheese, salt, sugar, salt and pepper.
- In a small saucepan, add unsalted butter and cook until the butter is golden brown and gives a hint of a "popcorn" smell, stirring continually. This takes about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn!
- Cool the butter slightly before adding to dry mixture. Stir in 2 T water and then mix together with your hands. Mixture may be sticky and crumbly.
- Press crust dough into 9" tart pan, making sure that the sides are evenly packed with an even layer on the bottom.
- Prick the crust with a fork and then place into a 375° preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until a light golden brown. TIP: For easy handling with the tart pan that's bottom lifts out…I placed the tart pan on a baking sheet to bake and then cool.
- Remove tart pan from the oven and then assemble the tart, adding sliced tomatoes, sliced garlic in an even layer. Between layers, sprinkle with a bit of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if desired, and a drizzle of olive oil.TIP: Feel free to add in a mixture of different types and plenty of small tomatoes.
- Top with coarsely chopped capers and end with a drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Add tart back into preheated oven for about an hour, until tomatoes look a bit "jammy" and caramelized…and capers are toasted.
- Remove from the oven and give another drizzle of olive oil. Let cool slightly before serving and removing from the pan.
- When serving, top with more finely grated Parmesan cheese and herbs, if you like.
- NOTE: This tart is best baked and enjoyed the same day, but is still great served at room temperature or slightly warmed the next day.
Notes
Caramelized tomato filling inside a cheesy, crunchy crust.
Doesn’t get much better.
This is a great addition to a brunch…or a lunch with a great salad added.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.
Those who gathered with feet under my table this weekend gave it a thumbs up! Enjoy!
Happy September!
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Happy Labor Day Weekend Saturday!
8 Comments
alda ellis
THIS. This sounds like my kind of tomato recipe and the perfect ending to summer . So I am keeping this for certain! Your recipes are always so good and tasty…just wish we were neighbors!
hugs,
Alda
Leslie J Watkins
Enjoy this one! That CRUST and the jammy tomatoes are a marriage made in heaven! Oh, how wonderful to spend time with you, sweet friend! Next door neighbors would be the best.
Tracey+Buchanan
Looks amazing! Yum!
Leslie J Watkins
That crust! Oh, my! add in caramelized tomatoes and garlic and it takes this one over the top! Enjoy!
Cindy Walker
OMGoodness! I can’t wait to make this. Sounds delicious & easy. I’ve been looking at this bowl of home grown tomatoes on my kitchen counter & wondering what else I can do with them. A million thanks!
Leslie J Watkins
So glad I could help with those tomatoes– It’s like a frenzy here to use or save them for the freezer or the pantry. This one ticked all the boxes! Hope you love this one.
Martha Wallace
Can’t wait to try this with that cheesey crust! Looks divine!
Leslie J Watkins
Oh, my goodness! The crust is divine!