Topped with caramelized onions, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and tomatoes, this tomato tart on flaky puff pastry dough is a delicious way to savor fresh heirloom tomatoes.
- Prep Time:
30 mins - Cook Time:
30 mins - Total Time:
1 hr
Tomato season has arrived in Texas! Usually, when tomato season arrives my thoughts automatically go to bruschetta and caprese salads. However, when I saw beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market this past weekend and remembered I also had some goat cheese I needed to use, I decided it was time to make a tomato tart. Not just any tomato tart though but a tomato, goat cheese, and caramelized onion tart.
This is a luscious way to enjoy the tomato bounty. Sweet, ripe tomatoes atop a bed of caramelized onions and creamy goat cheese – all baked in a flaky puff pastry shell. Oh my.
Variations for tomato tarts are endless. Some use a baked pastry shell, others use puff pastry. There are those where the tomatoes are baked and some that keep the tomatoes fresh. Cheese options range from ricotta to mozzarella.
After researching the possibilities, I settled on a simplified version of a recipe from Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa). Her recipe called for making individual sized tarts and used only one tomato. Since I had bought an abundance of tomatoes, I decided to be more generous with the tomatoes and make a full size tart for easy assembly.
How to not have a soggy tomato tart
One key step in making this tart is to drain the tomatoes by first sprinkling them with salt and then laying them out on paper towels for 3o minutes. This draws the excess moisture from the tomatoes so you don’t end up with a soggy tart.
Depending on your love of salt (I love it!) and how much salt you wipe off the tomatoes once they’ve drained, you may want to season them with more salt when assembling the tart.
Ways to serve a tomato tart
You can make this tart be the star of your meal or be an elegant side dish. Either way, it’s worth a trip to the farmer’s market to find the season’s best tomatoes.
Cut the tart into larger portions to serve as the main dish. To serve as a side or appetizer, cut into smaller portions.
Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Tart
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This tomato tart on flaky puff pastry dough is topped with caramelized onions, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and tomatoes. It’s an easy and delicious way to savor fresh, ripe tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces assorted tomatoes (preferably heirloom), sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing the tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, peeled, halved, and then sliced about 1/8 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 2 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Instructions
- Prep tomatoes. Line a large baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Lay tomato slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt. Flip the tomatoes over and sprinkle second side with salt. Allow the tomatoes to sit for 30 minutes. While tomatoes are draining, prepare the onions. Also, set out the goat cheese to soften if you haven’t already.
- Cook onions. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them briefly until they are evenly coated with oil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let the onions steam for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the onions, add white wine, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to cook the onions until they are nicely browned and there is almost no moisture in the pan, about 15-25 minutes more.
- Preheat. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Score puff pastry. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With the tip of a sharp paring knife, lightly score a border ¾ inch from edges (being careful not to cut all the way through the puff pastry).
- Add cheese. Spread the goat cheese on the pastry sheet up to the scored border line. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the goat cheese.
- Add onions. Spread onion mixture on top of the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese, again staying within the scored border.
- Add tomatoes. Pat the tomato slices dry and lay them on top of the onions, overlapping as necessary. Brush the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter shaved Parmesan over tart.
- Bake tart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Sprinkle baked tart with julienned basil leaves and serve.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.
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Wendy W says
This looks fantastic and I plan to make it this week. Can it be made ahead and reheated or served at room temperature?
Taming of the Spoon says
You can make it in the morning and eat it later the same day. It is still very good at room temperature.
Kim says
New go to starter! Used individual puff pastry sheets.
Perfect!!
Taming of the Spoon says
That’s fantastic, Kim! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know.
Michelle says
Hi there! I made this for some friends and it was an absolute hit. Unfortunately, I won’t have time to do everything in one go this weekend — can I prep the stuff in advance? If I salt the sliced tomatoes the night before, put them in a container, and refrigerate overnight, will they be ok the next day?
Taming of the Spoon says
Salting tomatoes makes them quite soft and I’m afraid letting them sit overnight will make a soggy mess the next day. You could maybe try lightly salting them, letting them sit for 20-30 minutes, then pat them completely dry before letting them sit overnight. I’ve never tried that before so I can’t guarantee it will work but might be worth a try if you’re in a pinch. Do you have any time to try it out with one tomato tonight before the weekend just to see how mushy the tomato is the next day?
Christina says
Hi! I have a question! I’m making this for a shower and decided to do the individual rounds by cutting out the puff pastry and I plan to use smaller tomatoes and do a single round slice on top of each. Do you think the salting/draining step is still necessary? Thank you so much and the tart is stunning!
Taming of the Spoon says
Personally, I would still salt/drain the tomatoes slices. I really hate a soggy tart. If you decide to not do that step, you will want to season the tomatoes with a little salt as you’re assembling the tart. Let me know how your tartlets turn out.
Christina says
Thank you so much for the response! I ended up not salting/draining really only to save time but I did lay the tomatoes on a paper towel after I had sliced them all before I started assembling so as to hopefully absorb some of the moisture (in hindsight I realize I could have easily tossed some salt on top but oh well!). In any case they were absolutely fantastic and the platter of about 70 tarts was cleared! Thanks again for the fantastic recipe and help!
Taming of the Spoon says
I am so glad to hear the recipe was a such hit. It totally makes my day to read comments like yours! Thanks so much.
Kathleen says
Hi, this looks delicious! I just bought some heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market and would like to use them for a tart. I have a question though: I bought around six or seven tomatoes, which came to three pounds. There are 13 tomatoes in your photo above, but the recipe only calls for 12 ounces of tomatoes. Can you please clarify the amount? Twelve ounces doesn’t seem like it would be enough. Thanks!
Taming of the Spoon says
About half of the tomatoes in the photo are about the size of cherry tomatoes so they were fairly small. I think you may only want to use about half the tomatoes you bought. However, this recipe is really flexible and I have made it several times and not bothered to weigh the tomatoes instead eyeballing the slices and seeing how thick I wanted my tomato layer to be. I hope that helps. Let us know how it works for you.
Kathleen says
Thank you, good to know! I never ended up making the tart, ended up oven-roasting the tomatoes and freezing them to use for sauces. But I still plan to give this recipe a try!
Suzanne McSpadden says
This was so delicious. Caramelizing the onions first took it to the next level.
Taming of the Spoon says
I’m so glad you liked it! Caramelized onions add so much flavor to a dish. Thank you for coming back to comment.
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi Nguyet!
I found your blog via Thalia’s and hopped right on over! This tart is just beautiful! I’ve never baked with puff pastry before… but it does look simple and elegant! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂 I’ll keep it in mind for when I get to puff pastry baking 🙂
cheers from Buenos Aires,
felicia
Taming of the Spoon says
Hi Felicia. Thanks so much for stopping by. I just visited your blog and it’s beautiful!
Baking tarts with puff pastry is easier than you think especially when you use store bought puff pastry. Hope you get to try this recipe soon.
Anne says
This looks amazing!!! I wish tomato season arrived here also, but alas… Most plants are just starting to flower. :/
I’ll definitely make this once the tomatoes come around though!
Taming of the Spoon says
I hope you enjoy it. It really is quite delicious.
Matt Robinson says
Absolutely awesome, love this so much!
Taming of the Spoon says
Thanks, Matt! Everyone I served this to really enjoyed it.
Alicia G says
If you make this a day ahead and don’t add the fresh basil until you’re ready to serve, should you refrigerate or leave out at room temperature – covered after it cools – so it doesn’t get more soggy. I’m not sure if I plan to reheat or serve room temperature as I’m bringing it to a party. Anyone know???
Nguyet says
I’m so sorry for the delayed reply. It was a bit of a crazy weekend. I personally would refrigerate the tart if I were making it a day ahead. To reheat, put the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop it back in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees until it is warmed through and the puff pastry crisps up a bit.
Alicia G says
Made it! Thx for replying about refrigeration. Super easy – used mini heirloom tomatoes and used gruyere instead of parmesan shavings because I had it on hand to use up. Wish I could share a photo. I made two. They turned out so pretty! I added dried tarragon too because I like that flavor. The crust bottom turned out perfectly golden. Your instructions were spot on. It was a hit and I’ll definitely be making it again. I can see so many ways to vary this. Fabulous recipe! Thx for sharing!
Nguyet says
I’m so happy you made the recipe and loved it! Glad I could help with the re-heating instructions. Thank you so much for the update.