Summer Tomato Tart
Oct 02, 2023, Updated Apr 22, 2025
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It’s picnic season in the Southern Hemisphere and there’s nothing I love taking more to a picnic than a summer tomato tart. But this one is a bit different because you'll make your own cheese puff pastry from scratch! Trust me--it’s really not as hard as you think. Just one bite of this amazing flaky pastry with the tender tomatoes makes it worth the extra time!
Round out this tasty tart with other summer favourites like rainbow antipasto pasta salad or this chicken breast with creamy mushroom sauce.
Sweet, tart, acidic and rich--these are all the things that make a summer tomato tart such a welcome part of the summer tomato season.
This tomato tart has three main components: the beautiful tomatoes, cheesy homemade puff pastry, and my walnut pesto, which is turning out to be one of my most versatile recipes recently! I’ve used it for eggs, garlic confit pesto pasta, and this epic mortadella, burrata, and pesto focaccia sandwich. The savouriness of walnut pesto is such a fun companion for the sweet tomato. The nuttiness and fresh herbs will have you wanting another slice!
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make this colourful summer tomato tart? Grab these key ingredients (along with a few others), and you'll be ready to bake this simple recipe!
- Tomatoes: I recommend using ripe, fresh tomatoes, such as sliced beefsteak or roma tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes. Heirloom ones are my favourite option!
- Basil: This herb brings the perfect summer flavour to complement the tomatoes.
- Cheese: I use quite a few cheeses in this recipe! Cheddar is in the pastry, while the filling uses ricotta, and the pesto includes Parmesan and Pecorino Romano.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Summer Tomato Tart
- Whisk the flour and salt, then grate the butter into the mixture and rub it into the flour until it has a crumbly, pebble-like texture. Mix in the sour cream and cheddar, then shape the dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours, or overnight.
- Roll the dough into a long rectangle that's about 2 cm thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, then turn it clockwise and repeat the rolling and folding an additional 5 times for a total of 6 letter folds. Split the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Once the puff pastry has chilled, roll out one of the pieces of pastry to a 25 cm wide circle that's about 4 mm thick.
- Slice the tomatoes, place them on a tea towel, and sprinkle them generously with salt.
- Let the tomatoes sit for 10 minutes to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.
- Mix the ricotta and basil pesto together, then spread the mixture on the pastry, leaving a 4 cm border of pastry around the edge. Arrange the tomato slices on the pastry and sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Fold up the edges of the tart and brush with beaten egg.
- Bake the tomato tart at 355°F (180°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes are lightly browned.
- Let the tart cool for 15 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Summer tomato tart is obviously all about the tomatoes! You can really use any type of fresh, ripe tomato for this recipe, but I particularly have a soft spot for the heirloom! But, if you can’t find them - the boldness of a roma would also work. You could even do little halves or quarters of cherry tomatoes.
The secret is to salt the tomatoes for 5 minutes before placing them into the tart. This will extract some moisture so when they bake away your tart doesn't turn into a soggy mess.
Freeze the ingredients and tools for making puff pastry 20 minutes prior to making your puff pastry.
Grate the butter, as it will be much easier for you to evenly distribute the butter across the flour.
To get those beautiful flakey layers, it’s important to layer the dough (or technically, laminate it). This means rolling the dough out flat, and folding the dough over itself into thirds as though you are folding an envelope to go into a letter. Repeat this step up to 6 times to create those iconic puff pastry layers.
Work fast. It’s impossible to stop the temperature of the cold butter going down a few notches in degrees, which is why I recommend working quickly when making your dough!
It's best to enjoy this tart when it's fresh out of the oven, as the tomatoes can make the pastry go soft when it sits for a while. However, you can make the pastry a day or two in advance and assemble the tart and bake when you're ready to enjoy it.
Pair this tomato tart with crumbed chicken and bacon salad, Caesar salad with homemade croutons, olive no-knead focaccia, or a side of garlicky green beans for a light, summery meal. It's also a perfect addition to a picnic or festive spread of appetisers!
Serving Summer Tomato Tart
This tomato tart is a vibrant addition to any summer meal! Pair with a crisp, fresh side like garlicky green beans or the rainbow antipasto pasta salad, or with a light and satisfying main course like lemon ricotta pasta. Finish with a simple dessert of strawberries and cream sponge cake for a sweet, summery finish. These dishes go beautifully together to make a wonderful warm-weather lunch, Christmas spread, or picnic menu!
Expert Tips
- Use ripe, in-season tomatoes for the best flavour. Heirloom ones are my favourite!
- Salt the tomatoes before adding them to the tart to prevent a soggy bottom.
- Chill the pastry ingredients and tools for 20 minutes before starting to make the flakiest puff pastry!
Other Vegetable Recipes You'll Love
Have questions or want to leave a review? Please do so below the recipe card! I always love answering your questions and hearing your feedback.
If you make this recipe, please follow me and tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
Summer Tomato Tart
Ingredients
For the Cheddar Cheese Pastry
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ⅔ cup salted butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1.7 ounce cheddar cheese, grated
For the Walnut Pesto
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- ¼-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce Parmesan, grated
- 1 ounce Pecorino Romano, grated
- flaky sea salt, to taste
For the Tomato Tart
- 1 disc cheddar cheese puff pastry, from above
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 3.5 ounces ricotta
- 2 tablespoons walnut pesto, from above
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
Instructions
Making the Cheddar Cheese Puff Pastry
- Freeze: Chill a large bowl, a box grater, and the butter in the freezer for 20 minutes before making the pastry.
- Rub In Butter: Place the flour and salt in the chilled bowl and whisk together. Grate the butter using the chilled grater into the flour. Rub the butter into the flour until you have a pebble-like crumbly texture. You can do this by pinching and rubbing the butter and flour between your fingers.
- Sour Cream & Cheese: Create a well in the centre of the mixture and add the sour cream and cheddar. Use a fork to slowly mix the flour into the sour cream and cheese in the centre until most of the flour is moist.
- Shape & Chill: Lightly dust a work surface with flour and shape the dough into a disc. (The dough should be firm and moist, but not sticky. You want just enough moisture so the dough is barely sticking to itself. If it needs more moisture, slightly wet your hands when working with it or, if it’s too dry, lightly dust it with flour.) Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Lamination: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 2 cm thick and long rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope. Turn the dough clockwise and roll it back out into a 2 cm thick rectangle. Repeat this step six times until you have created many layers and the dough is smooth.
- Chill: Divide the dough into two and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 2 days. If you are not using within 2 days, you can store in the freezer for 3 months.
Making the Walnut Pesto
- Blending Pesto: Place the walnuts, garlic cloves and big pinch of salt into a food process and blend until you have a chunky texture. Add the basil leaves to the processor and blend while slowing pouring in the olive oil. Stir through the grated cheese.
Making the Tomato Tart
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
- Sweat Tomatoes: Place the tomato slices onto a plate or tea towel, sprinkle generously with salt, and leave to sit for 10 minutes to allow some moisture to be released.
- Ricotta & Pesto: In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and pesto until well combined.
- Roll out Pastry: Take one disc of puff pastry. Sprinkle your kitchen bench or work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a large circle that is roughly 4 mm thick and 25 cm wide. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then lay it over the prepared tray.
- Assemble Tart: Evenly spread the ricotta pesto over the puff pastry, leaving a 4 cm border around the edges. Place the tomato slices over the ricotta pesto sprinkle with a pinch of pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake: Fold the outside 4 cm edge over, pinching the dough together to form a rustic circle shape. Brush the egg wash over all of the dough. This will help give the pastry a lovely golden colour. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Serve: Leave to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into it.
Video
Notes
- Use ripe, in-season tomatoes for the best flavour. Heirloom ones are my favourite!
- Salt the tomatoes before adding them to the tart to prevent a soggy bottom.
- Chill the pastry ingredients and tools for 20 minutes before starting to make the flakiest puff pastry!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
The cheesy puff pastry sounds delightful, and would go beautifully with the tomatoes. This looks like a wonderful treat for any summer's day!
What is sour cheese?
That should have read sour cream! It's been updated 🙂