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When made with tomatoes in a variety of colors and sizes, this elegant tomato tart becomes a showstopper on your summertime table. The Test Kitchen's updated version of this summertime favorite features a layer of ricotta mixed with crème fraîche for added creaminess.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz./390 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 16 Tbs. (2 1/2 sticks) (10 oz./315 g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) ice water, plus more as needed
For the filling:
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) crème fraîche
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick
- Maldon sea salt for finishing
- Small fresh basil leaves for finishing
- Extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
Directions
To make the tart dough, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 5 to 10 seconds. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and ice water and process until the dough just begins to form a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick to fit a 10 1/4-inch (26-cm) round tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and trim by rolling a rolling pin over the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to overnight wrapped.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
When ready to bake, prick the center of the dough with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment or tin foil on top of the dough and fill the pan with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is baked through and light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tart pan, about 35 minutes. Release the tart from the pan and set on a cake stand or serving platter.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta and crème fraîche and season to taste with salt and pepper. Using a small offset spatula, spread the mixture into the cooled tart shell. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with Maldon salt, a few grinds of pepper, basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately. Serve 8.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen
Rated 3 out of
5
by
FPR Kitchen from
Needs more humph
Easy and very pretty. My only change is next time I will add some herbs to the filling.
Date published: 2023-08-09
Rated 2 out of
5
by
crysbagsmcb74 from
Definitely Tweak this Recipe if you try it
I love the idea of cheese and tomatoes. I love pastry. I thought I would love this. Honestly, as written it's not good. With some of the tweaks mentioned in other reviews it's better. I'm giving two stars because of how the recipe is written. WS, may I suggest you read the reviews and put this recipe back in the test kitchen for some serious overhaul.
Here's what I learned.
1. the dough recipe makes 2 doughs. Make the recipe. Use half the dough, freeze the other half (unless you are making 2 tarts).
2. Homemade ricotta is the way to go. If you can't use homemade ricotta then whip your store bought ricotta to make it really light and fluffy.
3. Fresh grate your parm and sprinkle on top of the ricotta.
4. Fresh Basil is a must. I literally put the leaves (not cut) on top of the cheeses.
5. Bake the tomatoes too. the entire dish warm is much better than cold.
6. Drizzle with good quality olive oil and top with an herb blend (of your choosing) and sea salt.
Serve Warm.
Date published: 2021-08-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
soultruth1 from
Good recipe
I made this before awhile ago. I got the crust to a nice golden brown with the recipe provided. The willingness good,just a bit on the salty side. I used good cheese and shredded it as I needed. So next time I do this I'm cutting backbone the saltiness.overall it's a nice summer treat
Date published: 2019-06-15
Rated 3 out of
5
by
BridgetLand from
Agree With Others - AMAZING if you tweak it
I made the regular pastry crust recipe I usually use in my food processor (1 1/2 c flour, 1 stick + 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp. salt). I baked at 400 until it was starting to get to golden brown but not ready. I actually let it cool before the next step, but I don't think that's necessary (I was trying to make the hard part - the pastry - ahead of time). Then I mixed ricotta, shredded Parmesan, salt, pepper and chopped basil, and put it in the pastry crust until it almost reached the top of the edges (I used a narrow rectangular tart pan). I baked that for a little while longer (maybe 7-10 min). Then I topped with sliced tomatoes and baked until the tomatoes had slightly reduced in size (7-10 more minutes). I let cool and topped with sliced basil.
Date published: 2017-07-16
Rated 3 out of
5
by
eatngreet from
Needs some help to make it 5 star!
I baked the shell blind for 15 minutes. Then I added homemade ricotta. HUGE improvement...lighter texture and could control the salt. I crumbled the ricotta and sprinkled it into the crust, (as little or as much as you like), sprinkled 1 C. quality parmesan on top and baked 10-15 minutes more. Added fresh baby arugula, sliced tomatoes, basil and lightly sprinkled with a good olive oil, garlic, and a balsamic vinegar mix. Topped with Maldon salt and served warm. The arugula added a nice spice and the salt content was perfect, just taste as you go. Excellent!!!
Date published: 2014-08-14
Rated 5 out of
5
by
ccarrollva from
Gorgeous and delicious
We loved it. Just one possible addition. We drizzled a balsamic glaze over each slice as it was served. We also liked it better warm than cold.
Date published: 2014-07-19
Rated 1 out of
5
by
popcorn from
order out or stick with Flat bread
Horrible, the crust never gets even a light toast color, crumbles at the touch. Don't bother with this recipe the picture may be what your final product looks like but the minute you try and serve it crumbles to nothing, use a spoon. Pass on this one
Date published: 2014-07-18
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Syrah76 from
Delish after tweaks...Perfect brunch treat
I love this tart...it is so pretty and refreshing. However, it does require a few tweaks to get it there. The pie crust is very flaky and once the crust is cooked, assembly is a breeze. As is, the recipe is 2 stars. With tweaks, it goes up to 4 starts.
Notes
- The pie crust and filling quantities make enough for 2 whole tarts. If you try to put all the filling in one tart shell, there is way too much cheese ( I normally don't think too much cheese is possible!)
- Make sure the ice water and dough are very cold.
Tweaks:
- If you follow the recipe...then double the basil and make two tarts.
- Don't add salt until the very end...as a topper.
- Slice the tomatoes as thin as possible and overlap them.
- Serve with an aged Balsamic vinegar.
Options:
- Serve in a rectangle tart pan and serve slices.
- Reduce parm and increase ricotta in equal proportions if it is too rich for your patrons.
Enjoy!!!!
Date published: 2014-07-17