Fresh Tomato and Basil Tart. A savory tomato tart with pesto cream cheese and an assortment of heirloom tomatoes baked in a buttery flakey puff pastry crust.
This fresh tomato and basil tart is a favorite end of summer dinner served with a salad full of greens from my garden and a light lemon garlic dressing.
Using frozen puff pastry makes this fresh tomato and basil tart ready in a snap.
Tomatoes, naturally delicious and full of nutrients. Right now they are peaking in my garden. Every year I look forward to making this tart with the tomatoes that I grow.
I feel very fortunate to have a vegetable garden. If I could only grow one thing, I would definitely grow tomatoes. If I could only grown two things, I would definitely grow tomatoes and basil. What a perfect pair.
To make the puff pastry tart shell
For this tart you will need one sheet of frozen puff pastry. Read the directions on the package on how to thaw. I have removed the frozen puff pastry from the package and I am letting it thaw on the countertop on a floured surface. It doesn’t take too long.
Once the pastry dough has thawed, unfold it carefully. If the dough is still frozen, just be patient and wait a little longer. If you force open the pastry dough, it will break. You don’t want to do that.
Once the dough has completely thawed gently roll it out to a 14 x 11-inch rectangle.
Pull out a ruler to measure so that you can be exact. The pastry dough will be thin.
Cut a 1/2-inch strip from each side of the pastry rectangle.
Crack one egg into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
Place the pastry on a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the pastry dough with the beaten egg.
Place the 1/2-inch cut strips on edges of the tart. Press gently to adhere.
Cut the excess strip off.
Do the same on the all four sides. Adding the strips of dough will create a frame for your tomatoes.
Brush the strips of dough with the egg.
Take a fork and piece the entire tart several times. This will keep the pastry from puffing into a pillow. Pierce the edges as well. Place the pastry into a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven.
Carefully lift the pastry from the baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees because you are going to bake the tart again.
Beat for a minute or so to lighten up the cream. Add the pesto sauce and mix until combined.
Add the milk. Thoroughly mix. Make sure the cream cheese isn’t lumpy. Set aside for a minute.
Slice the tomatoes about 1/2-inch thick. You can slice them thinner if you like. My tomatoes are medium size…about like a baseball. I’m slicing three tomatoes.
Return the cooled pastry to the baking sheet.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled pastry tart.
An off-set spatula makes the job easier.
Spread as evenly as possible. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place the tart in the 350 degree oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the tart has set up and there are not visible juices. If there are still a lot of juices, the tart will go soggy.
While the tart is baking, you can get the fresh basil ready. Remove the basil leaves from the stem.
Stack the leaves on top of each other and roll them together a bit.Slice the basil. This is called a “chiffonade”. Set the basil aside until the tart comes out of the oven. When the tart is completely cooked with no juices visible, remove from the oven. Sprinkle with basil.
Fresh Tomato and Basil Tart
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 354 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg beaten
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup pesto sauce
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 medium tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- Salt pepper and extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14 x 11-inch rectangle. Trim edges to even. Cut ½-inch
- Strip from each side of pastry, forming 13 x 10-inch rectangle; reserve strips. Transfer pasty to baking sheet. Brush edges with some of beaten egg. Place strips on edges of tart, creating a border. Press gently to adhere. Brush entire rectangle and edges with remaining egg. Pierce bottom of pastry several times with fork. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and gently lift pastry to a cooling rack until completely cooled. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
For the basil cream cheese filling
- In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese. Add pesto and milk and mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture carefully over bottom of pastry. Arrange tomato slices, overlapping decoratively on top of cream cheese mixture. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until tart has set up and there are no visible juices. If not, the pastry will become soggy. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with basil. Can be served hot or at room temperature. Serves 6
Nutrition Facts
Fresh Tomato and Basil Tart
Amount Per Serving
Calories 354 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 274mg11%
Potassium 213mg6%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 1065IU21%
Vitamin C 8.6mg10%
Calcium 57mg6%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This is an update on a recipe posted in 2010. It is still and always will be, my favorite summer tart.
Really easy to make. A family favorite for years.
Hello Janet,
I just love this recipe — and have made it already 2 x this week already ;o)
One thing I hadn’t done before is add milk (was that in the original recipe?). Instead, I used the leftover beaten egg from the pastry. Works a charm!
THanks very much for your beautiful blog and for consistently amazing recipes!
Best,
Sarah
p.S. Not sure why this is all in cAPS!
Thank you so much for the kind comments and star ratings. I just had a slice for lunch! It’s a keeper. Don’t worry about the all caps. It doesn’t show up when published.
Hi Janet. Tried your peach ice cream. it was fabulous! I made two changes. Because hubby is lactose intolerant, I used Lactose free half and half to replace the whole milk and cream. Also i had extra peach puree so I added some sugar to it and cooked it down for about 45mins. I let it chill and added some back to the ice cream the last 5mins of processing. We will make it again. using your base recipe I’m going to try chocolate and vanilla bean.
Liz Simpson
Bravo! Such a great idea. Your husband is lucky!
Hi Janet. I’ve been following your blog for about a year now. I started with crusty bread. today I’ve created your peach ice cream. Still chilling. Now I’ve come across your tomato tart. I can’t wait to try it. But I do have a question. does the tart get a little wet as the tomatoes cook? would pre roasting them make it less wet? The only problem with the tart is that my husband is lactose intolerant- so I’ll have to eat the whole thing!
Hi Liz, I’m so happy to hear you have been following me! I hope you love the peach ice cream. The tomato tart is one of my favorite recipes on my blog. The cream cheese layer help’s with the crust getting soggy, but roasting the tomatoes is a very good idea. They would be sweeter and have a rich tomato flavor. I love the idea. I have to eat the whole thing myself as well. My husband isn’t lactose intolerant, he’s just a big baby and he doesn’t like his tomatoes cooked…whatever! Let me know how the tart turns out for you.
hi jANET i WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL MY TOMATOES ARE GROWING IN MY GARDEN AS IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WINTER HERE IN AUSTRALIA SO COME JANUARY GUESS WHAT I WILL BE MAKING WITH MY FIRST CROP OF TOMATOES…THIS LOOKS SO DELISH AND SO EASY…THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING AND PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING, ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE MAKING. xX
This comment is long overdue, because I have been making this recipe for the past 3 years. It is hands-down one of my top 3 favorite things to make (and eat)!
I make it frequently during the summer months.
I agree with you completely. It's one of my summer favs as well. I can hardly wait for tomato season. Thank you so much for your comment. You just made my day and have my mouth watering for summer foods.
I made this over the weekend for my best friends mother who came into town for a brief visit. It was delicious! The nice thing about your blog is I can blindy make something. And I know it will be wonderful!
You just made my day. I love this tart so much. Thank you for such a kind comment. xoxo
Thank you. I love it too. I can hardly wait for ripe tomatoes from my garden.
I adore dishes like this! Colorful and vibrant and so full of lovely Italian flavors.
Making this tonight and I can't wait. I'm a big fan of your blog, but I don't think I've ever commented. If I'm craving the authentic, unadulterated version of something… not the low-fat or quick version…. then your blog is my first go-to for the recipe. If the recipe is on here, I know it's going to be good!
My God..this is perfection! I love tomato and basil..
Can't wait to make this..(although it's not summer here in Toronto, I'm sure it will still be delicious). Just found your blog and loving every recipe! You're awesome. Keep doing what you're doing 🙂
You made my day. You'll love the tart.
This is absolutely amazing. Am going to make again tomorrow…one of the best things I have ever eaten!!!!! Everyone loved it. CRAZY GOOD.
Thanks, Michelle. Sometimes I wonder if anyone notices this recipe because it IS CRAZY GOOD! I can't wait for my garden tomatoes so I can make this everyday!
This is amazing!!!! I can't wait for tomoato season!!!
My favorite season.
Very nice! I made this today with phylo. Imagine my suprise when I defrosted a roll of what I thought was puff pastry to find phylo…. I used your recipe with few improvisions to make a delicious tart.
I used only 2/3 rds of the phylo…so with the remainder I made a fresh fig and cranberry strudel. Both are quite delicious!
Thanks
OH yum! You are so creative. The fig and cranberry strudel sound AMAZING!!
I have some beautifully ripe, heirloom tomatoes that must be used today, and lots of fresh basil in the garden… so I did a search for a tomato tart recipe. Most seem to be heavy with cheddar and mayo, blech! Then I found yours, yum!
I didn't have any puff pastry, so I am using some organic whole wheat filo dough instead, with olive oil between the layers instead of butter. My husband is going to grill some lamb chops to go with it. I think it will be a perfect summer supper… Thanks for the recipe, I'll let you know how it turns out!
Oh my, that sounds amazing. My kind of dinner. My mouth is watering right now. I still have a few weeks before my tomatoes will be ripe. My basil is anxiously waiting for them. I just love this time of year. Thank you for your comment and for another meal idea.
I am using a large square of canvas. I purchased it specifically for rolling out pastry. I have made them by purchasing canvas from a fabric store then surging around the edges. I love them they are fabulous. The canvas holds in the flour so that it doesn't all go into the dough.
Your recipes and photos are wonderful! Please tell me what you are using to roll out your crusts on. Are they ordinary cotton tea towels or something especially for pastry?
Merci beaucoup. Je t'aime. Oh man! I can't wait to hear how the burgers go. Seriously they are fabulous. Best of luck on that date…wish my son would date….
C'est bon. C'est tres bon. What an awesome medley of flavors! I'm going to bust out your jalapeno cheddar burgers for a date tonight…
You are my new best friend! Thank you for being infatuated with my blog. This is a great recipe to recreate. Oh my gosh…I love this so much! That's it. I'm making it….
I'm terribly infatuated with your blog! It has really re-ignited my love for cooking. I'm attempting to recreate everything off your blog ala 'Julie & Julia'… Will be trying this tonight.
Whoops…that would be truly without the "e".
Sheesh.
Hi Candace,
I agree with everything you said. Yes there should be more comments. This is truely fabulous and yes I wish I had sliced my tomatoes thinnner as well. You are spot on!
Okay, the only thing I can't figure out is why there aren't 100 comments about how delicious this dish is! I loved it! I added garlic salt on top too. I think that the only thing I will do differently is slice the tomatoes a bit thinner next time. AMAZING though, thank you for the post!