This Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto is the perfect way to impress your friends and family in a summery celebration or meal. It makes an ideal starter with a little salad on the side and above all it’s an amazing appetiser. Crunchy puff pastry topped with a cheesy pesto layer that irresistibly contrasts both in texture and flavours with the roasted tomato. Plus, baking the tomato enhances its flavours and makes it sweeter, so this tart is a great way to use up any green tomatoes you may have laying around (or it’s also a great way to use those not so good looking tomatoes before you even think of throwing them away!) .
This tart is a true summertime delight that makes everybody always go for seconds (and thirds, fourths…)!
Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto Ingredients
This Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto is super simple and versatile, you can easily swap some of the ingredients with whatever you have on hand. Here are some notes on the main ingredients.
- Puff Pastry: I use store-bought puff pastry in this recipe to make it as simple as possible. If you’re using frozen puff pastry, be sure to thaw it in the fridge first.
- Cheeses:
- Ricotta: it adds creaminess and lightness to the pesto and cheese mixture without adding fat. It makes a the cheesy layer between the tomato and the delicious puff pastry kind of fluffy too.
- Cheddar: I use mature cheddar for a touch of flavour and this time I went with the orange variety to bring an extra colour note, but feel free to use white cheddar instead if that’s what you have. It could easily be substituted with emmental, gouda or Gruyère.
- Provolone: it’s the melty cheese in the combo, providing that cheesy stretchiness when melted without altering the flavours. Another option would be to use low-moisture mozzarella, fontina or Urgèlia.
- Fresh mozzarella: I like to add it as a final touch on top of the tomato. It provides colour contrasts in the tart, plus a little extra cheese is never wrong, right? In any case, you can leave it out if you wish.
- Tomato: This tart is perfect for using both slightly green and imperfect tomatoes. Use whatever tomatoes you have on hand. Varieties like kumato, pink tomato, beefsteak, raf or moorish would work great. It’s very nice and tasty to mix different types.
- Pesto: I use classic Genovese pesto in this recipe, with basil and pine nuts, homemade :), but you can use store-bought too. If you use store-bought, try to ensure it has pine nuts and olive oil in the list of ingredients instead of other nuts and oils.
How to Store This Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto
If you ended up with leftover tart – I doubt it 😉 – put it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. For me, this tart is best enjoyed straight out of the oven, at its flaky prime, but I would also gladly have it at room temperature, or even cold, devoured directly from the fridge XD.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to prevent tomatoes from releasing too much water?
If the tomatoes you are going to use have a high water content, when you bake them they will release it and you’ll see some watery puddles at the top of the tart. If you want to avoid this, you can layer the tomato slices on a kitchen paper and season them with salt first. Let them rest for about 10-15 minutes and use another piece of kitchen paper to absorb the moisture on the top of the slices.
Can I make mini tomato tarts instead?
Of course! In fact, if you want to serve this Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto as a starter, making mini tarts will make a nicer presentation I think and we’re removing any chances of discussion to decide who gets which part (corners or centre XD).
To make individual tarts, simply cut the puff pastry sheet into 6 pieces and follow the process as indicated in the recipe below. Alternatively, you could cut out 6 circles with a pastry cutter and make puff pastry bites with the leftovers. For instance, you could cut the leftovers into smaller pieces, grate some cheese on top or/and sprinkle them with your favourite seeds, and bake them alongside the tartlets.
Can I make it ahead?
You can mix the cheese layer the day before and keep it in the fridge. The tart itself is best assembled before baking it and is best eaten recently baked.
If you don’t have a choice and need to prepare it further in advance, I would make it max half a day earlier, since the puff pastry softens over time. When it’s time to serve it, you can put it back in the oven for about 5 minutes at 220ºC or if you have a large enough pan you can reheat it over the stove in the pan. In any case, avoid the microwave, since this would soften it more.
More Crunchy Appetiser Ideas
- Crunchy Tuna Tartare Wonton Cups
- Pizza Style Garlic Confit Bread
- Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings
If you make this Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Cheesy Ricotta Roasted Tomato Tart with Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry - if using frozen puff pastry, thaw it the night before in the fridge
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 65 g pesto
- 65 g cheddar - mature variety and grated
- 65 g provolone - grated
- 2 tomatoes - large, sliced (beefsteak, raf, pink, kumato varieties, for example)
- Salt - preferably flaky sea salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 125 g fresh mozzarella - (a ball of mozzarella) drained and patted dry
- 1 egg - beaten
- Basil - to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (190ºC with fan).
- In a bowl mix the ricotta cheese with the pesto, cheddar and provolone. Set aside.
- Lay the puff pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with parchment paper so it doesn't stick (I use the one that comes in the package with the puff pastry). Pierce the entire surface with a fork leaving a 2-2.5cm border.
- Spread the cheesy pesto mixture over the puff pastry, respecting the edges. Arrange the tomato slices slightly overlapped (they'll shrink once baked). Season the tomato with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Finally, tear the mozzarella ball into pieces and distribute them over the tomato.
- Brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and golden and the edges of the puff pastry are also golden.
- Garnish with some basil leaves on top and enjoy!
Notes
- To make individual tarts, simply cut the puff pastry sheet into 6 pieces and follow the process as indicated in the recipe below. Alternatively, you could cut out 6 circles with a pastry cutter and make puff pastry bites with the leftovers. For instance, you could cut the leftovers into smaller pieces, grate some cheese on top or/and sprinkle them with your favourite seeds, and bake them alongside the tartlets.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.