Tomato Puff Pastry Tart

This tomato puff pastry tart is a wonderful way to showcase those in-season tomatoes! A delicious option for an appetizer, light lunch, or as part of a brunch spread.

Making a tomato tart with puff pastry is a fun and easy way to use those beautiful and juicy tomatoes that are at their peak towards the end of summer. At this time of year, tomatoes are all over farmers markets, in stores, and bursting out of gardens in our area… and we’re always looking for fun and easy ways to use them.

A puff pastry tomato tart is lovely as a light lunch or dinner paired with a salad. It would also make a great appetizer for hosting friends for a night on the patio or at a dinner party. Making a tomato tart would also be a great addition to an at home brunch party.

Plus, tomato tarts with puff pastry are easy to make and look beautiful. Your guests will be impressed and it takes minimal effort on your end…score!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love this Puff Pastry Tart Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Tomato Tars with Puff Pastry
• Recipe Variations and Substitutions
• Possible Dietary Restrictions?
• Let’s Talk About Puff Pastry
• Expert Tips
• Helpful Equipment
• Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
• Tomato Puff Pastry Tart

Why You’ll Love this Puff Pastry Tart Recipe

Level of difficulty: Easy. 

Flavor: The tomatoes, herbs, and buttery pastry are the main flavors of this tomato tart. These flavors are accented with melty and creamy cheese. SO GOOD.

Time: It will take you approximately 40 minutes to prepare your puff pastry tomato tart. Note: this does not include thawing time for your frozen puff pastry.

Ingredients Needed

• Frozen puff pastry
• Flour (for rolling)
• Egg of any size (for egg-wash)
• Cheese (I use a Cheddar Gruyere from one of my favorite Wisconsin dairys, but there are a ton of great cheese options! See the “Recipe Substitutions and Variations” section for a list of recommended cheeses)
• 2-3 medium tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes are beautiful on this tart)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh basil
• Fresh parsley (ok to use curly leaf or flat leaf)

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Tomato Tars with Puff Pastry

1. Prepare and pre-bake puff pastry crust:
   1. Thaw frozen puff pastry per the package instructions.
   2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
   3. Unfold and place a thawed sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured, flat surface. Lightly roll the puff pastry dough into a rectangle that is about ⅛” thick. 
   4. Using a sharp knife, score a line about ½” in from all edges to create a border (do not cut all the way through).
   5. Using a fork, prick the center of the puff pastry generously (do not do this on the border).
   6. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Gently “wash” the border with the egg using a pastry brush. Make sure to get the top and edges.
   7. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare the toppings:
   1. While the puff pastry is pre-baking, wash and slice the tomatoes. Grate the cheese. Chiffonade the basil and chop the parsley. Set all ingredients aside until the crust is ready.
3. Assemble the tart:
   1. After the puff pastry has pre-baked, remove it from the oven. Gently press the center portion down with a glass if it has puffed up, leaving the border puffed.
   2. Generously sprinkle cheese over the center portion of the puff pastry.
   3. Cover the cheese with a layer of tomato slices (it’s ok to overlap them slightly).
   4. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and a little more cheese on top of the tomatoes.
4. Bake:
   1. Bake the assembled tart for another 12-15 minutes, until the puff pastry border is flakey and golden brown. At this point, the tomatoes should be lightly roasted and the cheese melted and bubbly.
5. Slice, serve and enjoy!
   1. Remove the tomato tart from the oven and cool for a few minutes prior to slicing. Best served immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Use different kinds of tomatoes. I show a variety of heirloom tomatoes on my tart. You could also use any of your favorite slicing tomatoes or cherry tomatoes!
• Change the cheese. If you cannot find the Cheddar Gruyere that I use, and don’t want to do a mix of cheddar and gruyere, that is a-ok. Straight gruyere would be fabulous. Mozzarella, fontina, or goat cheese would all be great substitutes. A mixture of mozzarella and parmesan would be great. Have fun with it!
• Add pesto. If desired, add a light layer of pesto to your tomato tart on puff pastry. I would recommend add this below your first cheese layer after you pre-bake your puff pastry. Alternatively, you could use pesto and skip the cheese if desired.
• Try different fresh herbs. Try different fresh herbs in addition to, or in place of, the basil and parsley. Thyme, oregano, and chives would all be wonderful on a tomato tart.
• Drizzle your tart with balsamic vinegar or a balsamic reduction. Just before serving, adding a drizzle of balsamic or a balsamic reduction would be a lovely touch.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This puff pastry tomato tart is vegetarian as written. A simple modification can be made to make this into a gluten-free tomato tart as well. You can also make this tomato tart vegan and egg-free with a few changes too! 

• To make this tomato tart on puff pastry gluten-free, purchase a gluten-free frozen puff pastry (or make your own if you’re feeling ambitious).
• If you’re looking to make this into a vegan tomato tart, a few changes need to be made. Making these changes also makes this tart egg-free:
  • First, ensure the puff pastry you’ve purchased is vegan by reviewing the ingredients list (some are, some are not). 
  • Swap the egg wash for a vegan-friendly wash. A popular choice is using aquafaba. Doing a little research, it appears using vegetable oil or olive oil is another option for this as well (and would taste good with this).
  • Use a vegan cheese substitute of your choosing. 

Let’s Talk About Puff Pastry

What is puff pastry?

Puff pastry is a light and flakey pastry made of laminated dough. Laminated dough consists of many thin layers of dough separated by butter, which is made by repeated rolling and folding.

Where do I get frozen puff pastry? 

Look for frozen puff pastry dough in your grocery store’s frozen section, often by frozen pies or frozen pie crusts.

How to thaw frozen puff pastry.

The best method for thawing frozen puff pastry is to put it in the refrigerator for approximately 4 hours (up to overnight). The frozen puff pastry dough package will also outline directions of how to thaw the dough. Some frozen puff pastry brands suggest thawing your puff pastry on your counter for 30-40 minutes.

How to work with frozen puff pastry dough.

While your dough needs to be thawed (to avoid cracking), you want to keep it cold. Warm puff pastry is very difficult to work with (it is stretchy and super sticky) and also won’t puff up as much during the cooking process. You also risk losing the butter that’s folded into the pastry if it gets too warm (the butter could melt onto your pan instead of staying in the dough). When you are ready to prep your thawed dough, remove it from the fridge, and unfold the dough onto a floured work surface. Lightly roll out your puff pastry with a floured rolling pin to remove the creases and create an even layer.

Expert Tips

Tomato tarts with puff pastry are best served soon after they are baked. You can serve your tomato tart hot or at room temperature. If you do have leftovers, reheat on a baking sheet in the oven that is preheated to 250°F until warmed to your liking.

Frozen puff pastry generally comes in sheets of two. You can easily double this recipe and make two tarts. OR save one of the sheets for another recipe, like these prosciutto asparagus puff pastry bundles or puff pastry egg tarts!

Helpful Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Cutting Board
• Chef’s Knife
• Rolling Pin
• Pastry Brush
• Pizza Cutter

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