Tomato Tart with Ricotta and Pesto
This Tomato Tart with Ricotta and Pesto is a savory and delicious way to enjoy those tantalizing summer tomatoes and fresh basil. Make this elegant recipe the centerpiece at your next brunch or luncheon for a dish that’s sure to impress!
Servings: 8
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons, cold, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3-5 tablespoons ice water as needed
Tart
- 1 cup prepared basil pesto
- 2 large tomatoes sliced
- Salt
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese use the best ricotta you can find
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese Parmesan or Romano cheese (or a combination)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the ice water to the flour mixture by tablespoon, pulsing after each addition. After 4 tablespoons, test the mixture to see if it comes together in your hand. If not, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more water.
- Empty the crust mixture into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pull the dough together to form a ball, then press it back into the tart pan and up the sides.
- Dock the crust with a fork. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Place on a baking sheet then place a piece of parchment paper over the crust, fill with pie weights, old dried beans, lentils or rice.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until light gold in color. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Tart
- Drain the tomatoes while the crust is chilling and then baking and cooling. Salt both sides, then place on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. After 20 minutes, flip the tomatoes onto a dry area of the towel(s) and drain again. Pat dry.
- Whisk together ricotta, Asiago (or Parmesan or Romano cheese), eggs, garlic and salt and black pepper.
- Spread pesto over the crust.
- Carefully spread the cheese and egg combination over the pesto.
- Arrange the tomatoes over the top of the cheese and egg combination in a pinwheel fashion (or get creative!).
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until ricotta custard is set and tomatoes appear "dry." (They won't be.)
- Serve warm or at room temperature with additional pesto. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
A prepared, purchased pie crust will be too small because they're meant for a 9-inch pie/tart pan.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Can use Asiago or Romano instead of Parmesan.
- When pressing the dough into the tart pan, use the heel of your hand as much as possible. The heel of your hand is cooler than your fingertips.
- When working with the pâte brisée, handle it as little as possible and keep it cold. A dough that is handled too much will become tough, and dough that gets warm will not be as flaky because the butter melts inside the dough.
- Use a tart pan with a removable bottom. This allows you to easily remove the tart from the pan since you don’t want to tilt or flip it to remove it. A tart pan also has the appropriate shallow depth for this tomato tart recipe’s cooking times.
- Reheat individual wedges in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees until heated through.
- Wrap securely and freeze for up to two months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat individual wedges in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1696IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 2mg