I know summer is officially over, but I didn’t want to leave this gorgeous tart behind with my never-published blog posts of 2021 and not share it with you. Bookmark it and make it next summer if you don’t have any ripe tomatoes around. Or, if by some miracle you still have some, do give this a try.
The recipe is by Alexa Weibel. I stumbled upon it on the NYTimes Cooking website, the day I suddenly found myself with the most generous gift: a bag full of ultra sweet, organic, homegrown tomatoes left at our doorstep by my friend, mother-in-law, and expert tomato grower, Pat.
You can put together the dish pretty quickly (which always gets points from me), and it looks beautiful on the table (perfect for when you have friends over). Serve it as a light lunch with a green salad, or make it your side dish at dinner time.
When you are ready to eat the tart, make sure every bite you take has a little bit of each ingredient. The flaky dough, tomatoes, caramelized onions, creamy ricotta, and freshly-made pesto are fantastic together. The tart is mild and sweet, unlike other tomato tarts I had tasted before. I liked that.
Easy Summer Tomato Tart
Slightly adapted from NYTimes Cooking.
- 6-8 multicolored heirloom tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick.
- Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 sheet packaged puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought pesto (to brush on top of the pastry and for garnish)
- 5 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts (To toast the pine nuts, place them in a pan on medium heat until they turn a light golden color. Watch them carefully as they burn easily!)
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup fresh ricotta
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Make the pesto: Place a bunch of basil leaves in your food processor (about 1 cup), garlic (1 clove), toasted pine nuts(2 tablespoons) and process until finely chopped. Slowly incorporate olive oil (1/4 cup) and process until smooth. Finally, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup). Process until just combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Slice the tomatoes and place them on a large baking sheet or plate in a single layer. Season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Cover with paper towels to absorb extra moisture and let sit for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Roll out the puff pastry into a 9×11 inch rectangle. Prick the inside with a fork. Score the edges 1/2 inch from the border. It will look like a small frame.
- Brush the pastry with a little pesto and layer the tomato slices and onion on top so they overlap a bit.
- Bake the tart for about 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven set to 400ºF., or until the edges look nice and golden and have puffed up.
- To serve, cut the tart into 4 equal slices. Place each slice on a plate and top with a tablespoon of ricotta, a little drizzle of pesto and a few of the pine nuts.
Cooks Notes: What makes the tart stand out is using tomatoes in a variety of colors, but if all you can find is red tomatoes, it will still taste delicious! You can serve this warm or at room temperature, but it tastes best right out of the oven. If you like a bit more flavor, you could try this with feta cheese instead of ricotta. Play with parsley, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, or some Parmesan cheese on top. Using cherry tomatoes in different colors will also look nice, just cut them in half and sprinkle them on top of the puff pastry with the onion.
Original Recipe @nytcooking
”Roasted Tomato Tart With Ricotta and Pesto”
