Tomato Tart Recipe

When tomatoes are at their best, I make this tomato tart recipe on repeat. With a flaky homemade crust, a creamy cheese base, and layers of fresh tomatoes, it’s one of those easy summer recipes that feels special without taking much effort. I love that I can swap the cheese depending on what’s in my fridge.

I learned to make traditional tomato pies shortly after moving to the South. The comforting combination of freshly-baked garden produce, molten cheese, and pastry crust is hard to beat. But, I wanted to create something a bit more elegant and show-stopping with summer tomatoes, which is where this tomato tart came in: a simple, winning combination of a cheesy herb filling, homemade crust, and juicy tomatoes! Consider it an updated version of a Southern tomato pie, but called a tart as it is the complete opposite of the winter comfort offered by other savory pies like my fan-favorite potato pie.

PS – My tamale pie is also a huge fan favorite!

Laurie – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had a million cherry tomatoes to use up from my parents garden, so I decided to give this a try. My entire family was skeptical, except me….I thought it was gorgeous! My 12 year old son was already negotiating with me, but to my great surprise, every single one of us loved it. My daughter said it tasted like something from a fancy restaurant and claimed that she would get all the leftovers. Not only beautiful, but delicious!

Sommer’s Recipe Highlights

Beautiful yet simple – Considering how good this tart looks, even I sometimes can’t believe all you need to do is mix the cheese filling, add some tomatoes, and make a simple pie crust. It’s so easy to make, even with that buttery, made-from-scratch crust. (Though I won’t judge if you use a shortcut version from the store, but like with my tomato pie recipe, I do recommend using the tart crust recipe below if you have the time!)

Change the cheese, keep the mayo – The cheese filling under the tomatoes is a luxurious, southern blend of creamy mayonnaise, cheese, and herbs I absolutely adore. I’ve developed this recipe using provolone cheese for its delicate flavor and amazing melting properties, but you can use any cheese you like that shreds easily and melts smoothly. 

Key Ingredients and Tips

• All-purpose flour and cornstarch – I find that using a mix creates the best flaky pie crust!
• Butter – You want this to be fridge-cold for the best flaky crust.
• Grape or cherry tomatoes – I’ve designed this recipe to work with any small tomato, kept whole, so if you have a load of summer garden tomatoes that fit this description, go ahead!
• Sharp provolone cheese – If you don’t have any, A Spicy Perspective readers have told me this tart also works really well with fontina and white cheddar!
• Fresh basil leaves – I find basil is the best herb to bring that summer flavor to this tart, but if you don’t have any you could use snipped chives. It won’t be the same, though!
• Mayonnaise – Yes, the key to my tomato tart is mixing mayonnaise with cheese. If you think that mayonnaise is mostly egg, it makes sense really.

How to Make

Find the full recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post!

For the crust – First, to make the crust I preheat the oven to 375°F. In a food processor, I combine the flour, cornstarch, butter, and salt, then pulse until the mixture forms very fine crumbs, scraping down the sides a couple of times as I go. Then I add the egg and continue pulsing until a dough forms. The dough should be fairly firm, but it comes together well.

Shape the crust – I gather the dough into a ball and press it evenly into a 9-inch tart pan, making sure to cover the entire surface. (Alternatively, I can roll it out into a 12-inch circle first.) I crimp the edges, then refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes.

Prep the basil – While that chills, I then roughly chop ¼ cup of the basil, stacking and rolling the remaining basil to slice into thin ribbons to use as the garnish.

Make the filling – Next, I mix the cheese, mayo, chopped basil, green onions, and pepper until smooth.

Add the filling – I then spread the mixture over the bottom of the tart shell. Make sure it’s in a nice even layer.

Assemble the tart – To assemble the tart, I arrange the grape tomatoes on top and gently press them down into the cheese mixture.

Bake and cool – Then I bake the tart for about 35 minutes, until the crust edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Finally, I allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle the sliced basil ribbons over the top before serving slices of the tart still warm.

Recipe Variations

• Sometimes, if I want to add a little extra protein, I add 1/2 cup drained cottage cheese to the filling – it lightens up the tart but still adds a delicious creaminess!
• If you want to change up the herbs, I’ve found fresh thyme works beautifully. Parsley and chives also work well, and I think rosemary would too, but only if you finely chop it so you don’t get woody pieces in your tart.
• When I’m pressed for time but I still want to make this tart, I use a pre-made crust. One look at the comments section is enough to tell me that the ones from Whole Foods are your overwhelming favorites for this recipe! A crust from the store is also a good way of making this recipe gluten-free.

Servings Suggestions

Serving this tomato tart as a vegetarian main dish, my favorite sides are my Couscous Salad (with Pickled Vegetables), Farro Salad with Kale and Artichokes, and my Cucumber and Onion Salad (with Dill).

If I’m serving this tart as a side dish, I often pair it with my Grilled Blackened Chicken, Pork Chops with Pork Chop Seasoning, Broccoli Salad with Bacon, or my Cool and Creamy Grape Salad.

Storage Notes

Store leftovers of this tart in the in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days. Like with my Italian tomato pie, I find leftovers taste best if I’ve had time to bring them up to room temperature. Or, you can wrap the tart dish with plastic wrap for overnight storage at room temperature. But if you do this, you really should eat it the next day, and perhaps give this a miss if you’re experiencing a heatwave!

If you want to reheat slices, do this in the oven rather than the microwave, which will make the pie crust soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Tomato Tart Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

This delicious fresh Tomato Tart has a creamy cheesy base and buttery crust. It's a spin on the classic Southern tomato pie perfect for showcasing a glut of summer tomatoes!

Servings: 8 slices

Video

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

For the Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 teaspoons
• 6 tablespoons butter diced
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes rinsed and dried
• 1 1/2 cups sharp provolone grated (or fontina)
• 1/2 cup basil leaves divided
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

• For the Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch , butter, and salt. Pulse the mixture until it forms very tiny bits. Add one egg and pulse until a dough forms. This dough is rather tough, but it does come together nicely.
• Gather the dough into a ball. Then press the dough in to the 9-inch tart pan, covering every bit. (You can roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle if you want.) Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roughly chop 1/4 cup of the basil leaves. Stack and roll the remaining basil leaves and cut them into thin ribbons. Save the ribbons for the end. Mix the cheese, mayo, chopped basil, green onions and pepper in a bowl. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the tart shell.
• Top with grape tomatoes and press them down. Bake for 35 minutes, until the crust edges are golden-brown and the cheese is bubbling up.
• Cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced basil ribbons. Serve warm.

Notes

Can’t find provolone cheese? Use cheddar cheese instead!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 364kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 432mg, Potassium: 345mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1223IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 217mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Sommer Collier

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