Delight in a culinary masterpiece that promises both simplicity and gourmet appeal: the Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlet. This exquisite dish, requiring just 8 common ingredients and a mere 30 minutes to prepare, offers a perfect solution for a vibrant lunch or a light, yet satisfying dinner. Prepare to impress with minimal effort!
Welcome to a Week of Fresh Flavors and Easy Recipes!
It’s wonderful to be back on a regular posting schedule, bringing you fresh and delicious recipes to brighten your week. After a busy period focusing on food photography workshops, my full attention is now back on creating and sharing incredible culinary experiences right here. And what better way to kick things off than with a recipe that embodies ease, flavor, and vibrant freshness? Let’s dive into today’s star dish: the Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlet.
Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlets: A Celebration of Seasonal Simplicity
As the seasons shift, so do our cravings. The allure of spring and summer naturally draws us towards lighter, more colorful, and zestier foods. These mixed tomato and cheese tartlets are precisely that – a burst of beautiful, juicy, and vibrant baby plum tomatoes encased in a golden, flaky pastry. They offer a refreshing departure from the heartier stews and curries that warmed us through the colder months, making them an ideal choice for a lighter meal.
This recipe, inspired by a philosophy of ‘beautifully simple’ cooking, consistently delivers on both taste and ease. It proves that extraordinary flavor doesn’t require complicated techniques or a lengthy list of exotic ingredients. Made with readily available components, these tomato tartlets require minimum effort to prepare, yet yield maximum satisfaction. Serve them with a side of tender baby new potatoes and a crisp green salad for a complete and utterly delightful lunch or dinner.
Why These Easy Tomato Tartlets Will Become Your Go-To Recipe
What makes this mixed tomato and cheese tartlet recipe truly special? It’s the perfect harmony of fresh ingredients, minimal prep, and impressive results. Here’s why you’ll fall in love with it:
- **Effortlessly Elegant:** Despite their sophisticated appearance, these tartlets are surprisingly simple to make, making them ideal for both novice and experienced cooks.
- **Vibrant Flavor:** The star of the show, baby plum tomatoes, brings a sweet and tangy burst with every bite, complemented by creamy ricotta and savory hard cheese.
- **Quick to Prepare:** From start to finish, you’ll have these golden beauties on your table in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings.
- **Vegetarian Friendly:** A delicious and satisfying main course or side dish that caters wonderfully to vegetarian diets.
- **Versatile:** Easily adaptable to different tastes and what you have on hand, allowing for endless customization.
Essential Ingredients for Your Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlets
The beauty of this recipe lies in its straightforward ingredient list, each chosen to contribute to a symphony of flavors and textures. Let’s break down what you’ll need to create these irresistible tartlets:
- **Baby Plum Tomatoes:** These are truly the star. Their sweetness, juiciness, and vibrant colors (especially when you mix red and golden varieties) elevate the dish. While a mix adds visual appeal, using a single color works just as beautifully. Consider cherry tomatoes or small grape tomatoes if plum varieties aren’t available, just ensure they are halved.
- **Ready-Rolled Pastry:** Convenience is key! Whether you opt for puff pastry for its airy, flaky layers or shortcrust pastry for a more robust, crumbly base, both will yield excellent results. Choose what you prefer or have on hand. Always remember to take it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before use to make it easier to handle.
- **Ricotta Cheese:** This creamy, mild Italian cheese forms the luxurious base for our topping. It provides a delightful counterpoint to the acidity of the tomatoes and binds the other ingredients together.
- **Vegetarian Italian Hard Cheese:** A finely grated hard cheese adds a savory depth and salty kick. Vegetarian Italian hard cheese is an excellent choice, but if you’re not strictly vegetarian, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano would also be fantastic.
- **Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley:** Divided between the tart filling and the final dressing, fresh parsley provides a herbaceous brightness that cuts through the richness of the cheese and complements the tomatoes. Don’t skip it!
- **Extra Virgin Olive Oil:** Used for drizzling over the tomatoes before baking and as a base for the balsamic dressing, a good quality olive oil enhances the overall flavor profile.
- **Modena Balsamic Glaze:** A drizzle of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze after baking adds a touch of sophisticated complexity. It beautifully marries with the tomatoes and cheese.
- **Baby New Potatoes (to serve):** While optional, serving these tartlets with simple boiled or roasted baby new potatoes makes for a complete and balanced meal. Their earthy flavor and soft texture are a perfect accompaniment.
Crafting Your Delicious Tomato Tartlets: A Step-by-Step Guide
Making these mixed tomato and cheese tartlets is a wonderfully simple process. Just like my Charred Asparagus Tart, the foundation of this recipe begins with the pastry. Follow these easy steps to create your own:
- **Prepare the Pastry (Preheating the Oven):** Start by preheating your oven to 220 C (200 C fan-assisted). Unroll your ready-made pastry onto a baking tray, keeping it on its accompanying parchment paper. Carefully cut the pastry sheet in half. For each half, use a sharp knife to gently score a border of about 0.5cm to 1cm around the edges. This creates a raised crust during baking, preventing the filling from spilling and giving the tart a beautiful, defined edge. You’ll only need one half of the pastry for a serving of two people, but feel free to double the recipe to serve four. Store any unused pastry wrapped in the fridge for another culinary adventure.
- **Craft the Creamy Base:** In a small bowl, combine the creamy ricotta cheese, finely grated hard cheese, and the finely chopped stalks of your fresh parsley. This mixture forms a flavorful and moist foundation for your tomatoes. Spread this cheese mixture evenly over the center of each pastry half, being careful to stay within the scored borders.
- **Layer the Tomatoes:** Now for the star of the show! Scatter your halved baby plum tomatoes generously over the cheese mixture. Don’t be shy; pack them quite tightly in an overlapping layer. The more tomatoes, the more flavor and color! Drizzle one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with a little more of the finely grated hard cheese for extra savoriness.
- **Bake to Golden Perfection:** Transfer the baking tray to your preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them until the pastry is beautifully puffed up and golden brown around the edges, and the tomatoes are slightly softened and caramelized.
- **Prepare the Balsamic Dressing:** While your tartlets are baking, whisk together the remaining one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with the Modena balsamic glaze in a small bowl. Stir in the finely chopped parsley leaves (reserved from earlier). This simple dressing will add a final touch of brightness and acidity.
- **Serve and Enjoy:** Once baked, remove the tartlets from the oven. Cook your baby new potatoes as desired (boiled, steamed, or roasted). Serve the warm tartlets alongside the cooked potatoes and a fresh green salad, drizzling the balsamic-parsley dressing generously over the tartlets just before serving. See how incredibly easy that was?
Serving Suggestions and Variations for Your Tomato Tartlets
While delicious on their own, these mixed tomato and cheese tartlets can be elevated with various accompaniments and customized to your taste:
- **Perfect Pairings:** Beyond baby new potatoes and a simple green salad, consider serving them with a vibrant quinoa salad, a spoonful of pesto, or a side of steamed green beans. A light white wine or a crisp rosé would also complement the flavors beautifully.
- **Herb Power:** Feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs. Basil is a classic companion to tomatoes and cheese, or a sprinkle of fresh thyme or oregano could add a different aromatic note.
- **Cheese Swaps:** If you’re looking for a bolder flavor, a crumbly goat cheese could replace some of the ricotta. For a spicy kick, a hint of chili flakes can be added to the cheese mixture.
- **Add More Veggies:** Thinly sliced zucchini or bell peppers could be scattered among the tomatoes for added texture and nutrients. Just be mindful not to overcrowd the tartlets.
- **Make it Vegan:** With some clever substitutions, this recipe can be adapted for a vegan diet. Use a vegan puff pastry, dairy-free ricotta alternative, and a plant-based hard cheese.
Storage and Reheating Tips
These tartlets are best enjoyed fresh, warm from the oven, but they can be stored and reheated:
- **Storage:** Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- **Reheating:** To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a preheated oven (around 180°C/350°F) for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through and the pastry crisps up again. Avoid the microwave, as it can make the pastry soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions about making these easy tomato and cheese tartlets:
Q: Can I use different types of tomatoes?
A: Absolutely! While baby plum tomatoes are recommended for their sweetness and size, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or even larger tomatoes (sliced thinly and patted dry to remove excess moisture) can be used. A mix of varieties adds beautiful color and varied texture.
Q: What if I don’t have ricotta cheese?
A: You can substitute ricotta with cream cheese, mascarpone, or even a thick Greek yogurt (strained to remove excess liquid) for a similar creamy base. The flavor profile will differ slightly but still be delicious.
Q: Can I prepare the tartlets ahead of time?
A: You can prepare the cheese mixture and halve the tomatoes a few hours in advance and keep them refrigerated. Assemble the tartlets just before baking to ensure the pastry remains crisp. Baking them fresh yields the best results.
Q: How do I prevent the pastry from getting soggy?
A: Ensure your tomatoes are not overly wet. You can lightly pat them dry after halving if they seem very juicy. Also, make sure your oven is adequately preheated to a high temperature, allowing the pastry to puff up and crisp quickly.
Q: Is this recipe suitable for freezing?
A: While cooked tartlets can technically be frozen, the pastry texture might suffer upon thawing and reheating, becoming less flaky. It’s best to enjoy them fresh or refrigerate for a short period.
📖 Recipe
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlet
Ingredients
- â–¢ 320 g ready-made puff pastry (see notes)
- â–¢ 75 g ricotta
- â–¢ 25 g vegetarian Italian hard cheese (finely grated)
- â–¢ 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- â–¢ 400 g mixed baby plum tomatoes (halved)
- â–¢ 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- â–¢ 1 tablespoon Modena balsamic glaze
- â–¢ 300 g baby new potatoes, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 C (200 fan). Lay the pastry together with the baking parchment it comes with onto a baking tray. Cut pastry in half and score 0.5cm-1cm border around the edge of each one. (Save the remaining half of pastry for another recipe)
- In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, grated hard cheese and finely chopped parsley stalks. Spread this mix over the tarts, avoiding borders. Scatter the tomatoes over the top (pack them quite tightly), drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season and sprinkle with some more finely grated cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil with balsamic glaze. Add chopped parsley leaves. Serve tarts with cooked new potatoes and drizzle with oil-balsamic dressing.
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- You can use shortcrust pastry instead of the puff pastry for a different texture.
- Any unused pastry can be rolled back and placed in the fridge to use in another recipe within a couple of days.
That’s it for today! I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this simple, quick, and incredibly delicious Mixed Tomato and Cheese Tartlet recipe. It’s a testament to how fresh, quality ingredients can transform a meal with minimal effort. Don’t hesitate to give it a try and share your experience!
As always, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts or any questions you might have. You can also connect with me and follow my culinary adventures on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. And if you want to ensure you never miss out on my latest recipes and posts, make sure to sign up for my mailing list directly to your inbox!