Elegant and savory, this fresh Tomato Tart is made with a flaky olive oil pastry dough and flavorful heirloom tomatoes. A light layer of goat cheese and fresh basil complement, creating flavors and textures that are both satisfying and impressive. Great for a light meal or appetizer.
What is stronger than the human heart- which shatters over and over and still lives.
Rupi Kaur
Despite its crazy good looks, this tart may take less time than you may think! With just a few simple key ingredients, it comes together easily. The olive oil crust is easy to handle and forgiving, making the tart preparation process less stressful. While we found we prefer to roll the crust out between wax paper or parchment paper for a smoother finish, it can also be pressed into the tart pan. We’ll show you a few tips and tricks for keeping the crust from getting soggy. Heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes give this tart incredible summertime flavor. (For an easier version, feel free to use a store-bought puff pastry crust. We include instructions in the recipe card.)
The Tomato Tart has a tangy and rich flavor with a touch of creaminess from the goat cheese. The combination of the flaky olive oil crust and the juicy, flavorful heirloom tomatoes create a burst of deliciousness in every bite. The fresh basil adds a pop of herbal freshness that complements the tomatoes perfectly.
Love savory pastries? Check out these popular recipes: Asparagus Tart and Savory Galette with Leeks & Kale.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Tomato Tart!
- Flavorful Ingredients: The combination of flaky olive oil pastry dough, vine-ripe tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh basil creates a burst of flavors that are perfectly harmonious and satisfying.
- Olive Oil Crust: The use of olive oil adds a rich, savory flavor to the crust. Easy to work with and creates melt-in-your-mouth flakiness. No refrigeration required. And this crust is also vegan!
- Simple Preparation: While there are a few steps to this tart it requires only a few key ingredients and each step is easy, just a little rolling, slicing, sprinkling, and baking!
- Versatility: This Tomato Tart can be enjoyed as a light lunch or served as an appetizer. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or looking for a quick and satisfying meal, this tart is a versatile choice.
- Impressive Presentation: Take advantage of vibrant-colored tomatoes, using different varieties. Garnish with basil and don’t forget the basil flowers for garnish! It’s a dish that not only tastes great but also looks impressive on any table.
- Perfect for Summer: The freshness of the tomatoes and basil makes this tart ideal for summertime. It’s a light and refreshing option that can be enjoyed during hot weather.
Ingredients In Tomato Tart
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: All-purpose flour, feel free to experiment with 1/2 whole wheat.
- Olive oil: Adds a rich, savory flavor to the crust and contributes to its flakiness. A mild-flavored olive (or one you love the flavor of!) is recommended as some extra virgin oils can give a bitter flavor. You can of course use a different oil or a butter crust if you prefer.
- Egg white: Brushed on the crust to create a barrier and prevent a soggy bottom.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a touch of tanginess and to the tart.
- Parmesan cheese, grated: Sprinkled on the crust to further prevent sogginess and add a hint of nutty, salty flavor.
- Goat cheese: Can be used, plain or herbed (add fresh thyme, chives, or even pressed garlic for a more punchy flavor), to add a creamy and tangy element to the tart.
- Heirloom tomatoes: This is what the tart is all about! Use the best vine ripened tomatoes you can find. Feel free to mix and match different sizes. Take advantage of all the amazing colors available. Farmers markets are a great resource.
- Fresh basil leaves: Adds freshness and a pop of herbal aroma to complement the tomatoes. We use these in the tart before baking and to garnish.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Tomato Tart
Step One– Start by placing the tomato slices on a rack, sprinkle them with salt, and let them juice and drain for 30 minutes.
Step Two– In a bowl mix together flour and salt. Make a well in the center add olive oil and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix with a light hand adding the rest of the water as needed until the dough just starts sticking together. Press together into a ball, it will be soft. (Mix as minimally as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour which can produce a tough textured crust.)
Step Three– Roll out the dough, using a tiny sprinkle of flour to keep it from sticking (or sandwich the dough between wax paper or nonstick parchment).
If you prefer not to roll, alternatively you can press the dough into the pan. See recipe notes for tips.
Step Four– Transfer the dough to a 10″ tart pan. With a fork, poke holes across the bottom. (This allows the steam to escape and prevents major bubbles.) Bake in a preheated oven.
If you can manage it safely, bake without a baking sheet underneath to help the tart brown better. You can also preheat a baking sheet and then set the tart on that in the oven.
Step Five– Whisk together dijon and egg white (the egg white and parm create a barrier helping the crust stay crisp). Remove the crust from the oven and quickly brush the egg mixture over the warm crust thoroughly covering the entire crust. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the top and bake for 5 more minutes. The crust should be turning golden but still light in color. Set aside to cool.
Step Six– Assemble: Make sure the crust is cooled. Crumble the goat cheese over the crust. Tear basil leaves over the top. Blot the tomatoes of excess moisture and arrange them on the tart. Drizzle olive oil and honey (optional)over the top. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 425 F for 25-30 minutes.
Garnish with basil leaves and flowers. This tart is best served within a few hours of baking but leftovers are still good! Heat them up in an airfryer or toaster oven.
Tomato Tart FAQS
A tomato tart is a savory pastry dish that features fresh tomatoes as the main ingredient. It typically consists of a flaky crust made with ingredients like flour, olive oil, and salt. The crust is filled with sliced, juicy tomatoes and often complemented with other ingredients such as goat cheese, fresh basil, Dijon mustard, and grated Parmesan cheese. The tart is then baked until the crust is golden and the tomatoes are tender. It can be served as a light meal or appetizer and is a great way to showcase the flavors of ripe, summer tomatoes.
To prevent a soggy crust brush egg white and sprinkle parmesan to create a barrier for the juicy tomatoes.
Use a metal pan to brown the bottom of the crust and cook it more evenly.
Bake in the lower half of the oven.
We recommend making and serving fresh. One option is to freeze the crust dough and then make the rest of the tart the day you are serving it.
Any garden vine ripe tomatoes are going to be the most flavorful. Heirloom tomatoes such as brandy wine are a favorite.
A freshly baked tomato tart is best enjoyed within a few hours of baking when the crust is still crispy. However, if there are leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, we recommend using an air fryer or toaster oven to maintain the crispness of the crust.
Crunchy green salads, grilled tofu or chicken, pasta dishes, zucchini dishes.
What To Serve With Tomato Tart
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Hope you enjoy this fresh Tomato Tart. Such a perfect end-of-summer treat!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Tomato Tart Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner, side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Elegant and savory, this fresh Tomato Tart is made with a flaky olive oil crust, juicy summer heirloom tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, and fresh basil.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 10” tart pan with removable bottom
- 240 grams (2 cups) All Purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3–4 tablespoons water, room temperate is fine- no need for ice water.
- Or you can use frozen puff pastry dough *See notes
For the Filling
- 1 1/2 tablespoons egg white
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 8 ounces goat cheese (herbed is nice here)
- 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, about 3 medium tomatoes plus some cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for diversity and texture
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, plus some for garnish- basil flower are nice too!
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a bowl, mix together flour and salt. Make a well in the center add olive oil and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix with a light hand, adding the rest of the water as needed until the dough just starts sticking together. Press together into a ball, it will be soft. (Mix as minimally as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour which can produce a tough textured crust.)
- Roll out the dough, using a tiny sprinkle of flour to keep it from sticking (or sandwich the dough between wax paper or nonstick parchment). If you prefer not to roll, alternatively, you can press the dough into the pan. (see notes)
- Transfer the dough to a 10″ tart pan. With a fork, poke holes across the bottom. (This allows the steam to escape and prevents major bubbles.)
- Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Check for puffiness and gently poke bubbles if needed, a sharp tip of a knife works well for this. Bake for 15 more minutes.
- Whisk together dijon and egg white (the egg white creates a barrier- along with the parmesan in the next step, helping the crust stay crisp). Remove the crust from the oven and quickly brush the egg white mixture over the warm crust, thoroughly covering the entire crust. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the top and bake for 5 more minutes. The crust should be turning golden but still light in color. Set aside to cool.
- Turn the oven up to 425F.
Make the filling
- Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Lightly salt each side and spread them out on a rack. Leave to drain for 30 minutes.
- Assemble: Make sure the crust is cooled. Crumble the goat cheese over the crust. Tear basil leaves over the top. Blot the tomatoes of excess moisture. Arrange them on the tart. Drizzle olive oil and honey(if using) over the top. Sprinkle with black pepper.
- Bake at 425 F for 25-30 minutes.
- Garnish with basil leaves and flowers.
This tart is best served within a few hours of baking, but leftovers are still good! Heat them up in an air fryer or toaster oven.
Notes
To press dough rather than roll: Take 1/3 of the dough and make a log to press into the edges. Press the remainder into the bottom of the tart pan. Press in until evenly with your hands. Take a measuring cup (a metal one that is warm works great) and smooth out by pressing in with the bottom of the cup.
This tart is best served within a few hours of baking but leftovers are still good! Heat them up in an airfryer or toaster oven.
Puff Pastry– 1)Thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge. Pull it out of the box (but leave it in the plastic) and set it on the counter 15 minutes before rolling. If it feels stiff, just let it continue sitting on the counter until it relaxes a bit. 2)Roll the puff pastry out to 1/4 inch thickness, approximately 11 x 13 or 12 x 12. Prick the dough with a fork. Score the crust by slicing 1/2 way through about 1 inch from the edge. This will allow the crust to rise above the filling. 3)Brush the 1″ edge with egg wash for lovely golden color. 4)Par bake the crust for 18 minutes (or until it looks puffed and starting to brown) at 400 degrees. Proceed with filling instructions and bake at 400F 20-30 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice- 1/8 of the tart
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 325.8 mg
- Fat: 21.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 16.7 mg
Absolutely perfect!
Awesome!
Absolutely delicious, and quite simple to make😊
Thanks Kimberly, great to hear!
I’ve made this 2x and both times the crust cracked. I had to press it into the pan since even with a little extra water the dough wouldn’t come together in order for me to roll it out. Can you help?
Hi Liane, Sounds like it is too dry. Some flours are “thirstier”. You could try adding slightly less flour (-3 tablespoons?) then add as needed. Save out a bit of dough to patch with if the crust cracks again after baking.
Liane, I did the hand press method for the crust. After the first partial bake, the bottom had small crevices. The egg/Dijon mixture with parmesan cheese filled and sealed them. By the end of the second bake, the crust was crack-free . The tart didn’t leak when baked the next day.
I had the same experience. The mustard/egg mixture fixed the cracks!
awesome!
Tonia, this tart was amazing, beautiful and delicious!
I used puff pastry and made 2. The Dijon and egg whites were a game changer, giving an extra layer of flavor. I used feta cheese crumbled and Boursin cheese crumbles as well, since I had them. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
Awesome Jan! Your version sounds totally delicious!
The tomato tart was FANTASTIC – both in taste and appearance. I made the crust one day, and put it in the fridge over night. Note: I did the hand press method. After the first partial bake, the bottom had small crevices. The egg/Dijon (a must for that subtle zesty taste) mixture with parmesan cheese filled and sealed them. The next day I sliced and salted the tomatoes, went out for 2 hours and the tomatoes “drained” well. While to oven was preheating, I took the crust out of the fridge, assembled the tart and then baked as suggested. Next time I will put the basil leaves on right before serving because they started to darken. THANKS, TONIA, FOR THIS GREAT RECIPE AND YOUR HELP IN THE PREP.
Awesome Judy- So helpful to hear your process. Glad this worked out so well for you! The basil does turn dark, putting it under the tomatoes hides it, and then add more fresh on top. It adds complexity with the cooked flavor infusing into the cheese and the fresh peppery flavor on top. But all fresh on top is great too!
Hi Sylvia, Please let me know what cheese I can substitute for the goat cheese as I’m not a fan. Also do you know if any of the vegan cheeses would work? Thanks Wendy
Hi Wendy, Sure you could certainly swap out the cheese! Feta or ricotta (make sure it is not too wet) or maybe a gruyere- even a combo would be good! I am sure a vegan cheese would be fine! The parmesan does help seal the crust but you could try a vegan parm and maybe sprinkle on tofu ricotta, or something with a softer texture. Would love to hear what you create!
Thanks Tonia,
I made the tart last night. Delicious!
I tried to roll the dough but mine was too lose so I pressed it into the tart pan.
I used Gruyere in place of the goat cheese. I also added some diced Calabrian chilies on top of the cheese before I place the tomatoes. I am eating some of the leftover for breakfast.
Oh my goodness Wendy, that sounds so good!
The next time I make I will replace the tomatoes with mushrooms. I live in Toronto, ON so tomatoes in the winter aren’t something I purchase but I do love mushrooms.
Mushrooms sound great! Great idea to play around with different seasonal flavors, so many possibilities!
Can you make the crust the day before?
Yes, you totally can Judy.
Thanks, Tonia. I plan to make this for lunch in 2 days but need to get all the prep done by tomorrow. After I submitted my question, I looked at past comments and saw that you had answered this.
No problem, let us know how it goes.:)
Another Sylvia home run! Next time might add rosemary to the crust and skim the Parmesan–herbed goat cheese with the sweetness of the yellow cherry tomatoes was, well, divine. Come to expect that from our Food Goodness Goddess!
So happy to hear you enjoyed Lily! Rosemary in the crust sounds lovely.
I can’t wait to make this for a friend this week. Do you think I could make the crust the night before and put it together the next day?
Yes for sure!
Unbelievably Fabulous!! The olive oil crust is phenomenal. Loved this recipe! Otherwise..it could have been due to my home grown tomatoes!! Thanks Sylvia
I am sure your tomatoes had everything to do with the success! So happy it all turned out good!
Excellent! The garden tomatoes really make it, and the egg white mustard coating is genius. The crust was still perfect the next day!
That makes me so happy to hear Joseph!
Another hit! I made this with our fresh garden tomatoes and garden basil with herbed goat cheese as the base (not from our garden, obviously!). We had the warm tart as our dinner entree along with garden green beans. Yum! The olive oil crust was easy to work with and didn’t at all “bubble up” during baking as the recipe suggested it might. It provided a delicate base for the tart. Will definitely have this as a regular during garden tomato season!
I am so delighted this worked out for you Mary and love all the garden goodies! Can’t say enough how much we appreciate your continued feedback.
Super delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. Terrific!
Yay! So glad to hear it Lily!
So delicious! I only had a deeper dish pie glass dish and it still worked. Bottom of my tart wasn’t the most crisp but I think it’s because I was impatient and didn’t wait till it was cool to put the filling. Any general recommendations for how to keep the bottom of tarts like this crispy and not wet?
Very very delicious light summer appetizer though with a glass of Port:)
Glad you enjoyed Jen! A metal pan will work the best. Bake in the lower half of the oven. It should be pre-baked until it is started to color. The egg white and parmesan creates a barrier- letting it cool before filling is important. 🙂
Getting the crust together failed for me (maybe too much flour?) but I finagled it into the tart pan. Worth the effort – the flavor of everything together was amazing! The heirlooms here are at the tail end of peak season and this was a great way to capture the taste.
Hi Lucy, Oh shoot. I’m wondering what kind of flour you used? Did you weigh it? I would love to hear more of your process it will help us trouble shoot.
Glad the tart worked out in the end!
I used AP but didn’t weigh it (even though I knew I knew I should have). This is definitely user error lol!!!
Okay, thanks so much Lucy!
excellent
delicious
taste-bud perfection
Thanks Julia!
Great recipe. I usually do the following layers in my tomato tart: Egg wash, parmesan, tomato paste, dried oregano, bread crumbs (to soak up liquid), basil pesto, tomatoes, olives, basil leaves.
Yum sounds so good!
Hi! I think there’s a typo here: “Whisk together dijon and egg white (the egg white and parmesan create a barrier, helping the crust stay crisp). ” It should say “the egg white and DIJON”.
thanks!
BEAUTIFUL! Equally delicious. Love, love, love.
Great to hear!