Easy Puff Pastry Tomato Tart

This puff pastry tomato tart takes just 10 minutes to prep with only 6 ingredients and is the perfect easy appetizer or simple summer dinner to showcase all those ripe, juicy tomatoes you’ve picked from the garden! Frozen puff pastry makes this tomato tart a breeze to throw together!

 

This post was sponsored by Lifeway Foods. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

You Will Love This

• It could not be easier to make! Just 6 ingredients (including store-bought puff pastry dough for the win!) come together to make this ridiculously easy summertime appetizer. No fancy kitchen gadgets required and basically zero baking skills necessary.
• It’s tangy, juicy, crispy, and fresh all at the same time! The flaky puff pastry crust is the perfect vehicle for all those juicy tomatoes paired with creamy Lifeway Farmer Cheese and the homemade basil pesto just ties it all together! You get a little bit of everything in each bite – yet each bite leaves you wanting more.
• It’s just a really beautiful appetizer. It’s true what they say, that you eat with your eyes first. And this tart is going to tantalize your peepers before your taste buds even know what hit ’em! Impress your friends or dinner guests with this gorgeous tomato tart!
• If you loved this tomato recipe, be sure to check out my burst tomato and garlic pasta, easy Caprese garlic cheese bread, ricotta toast with roasted tomatoes, and cucumber, tomato, onion salad recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Puff Pastry – Puff pastry is flaky and buttery which makes it the perfect crust for this tart! The best part is that most grocery stores carry frozen puff pastry crust in the freezer section so it’s not hard to find. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and you’re ready to go!
• Egg – The egg wash is going to help the crust brown and give it a beautiful sheen.
• Basil Pesto – Basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven and basil pesto adds a ton of delicious, earthy flavors to this rustic tomato tart. You can use any brand of store bought pesto, or make your own with my easy basil walnut pesto.
• Lifeway Farmer Cheese – Lifeway Farmer Cheese is the co-star of this tomato tart recipe. I love Lifeway Farmer Cheese because of its creamy texture and tangy flavor that beautifully complements tomatoes and makes this tomato tart a crowd favorite. If you don’t have Lifeway Farmer Cheese, substitute with whole milk ricotta cheese or use mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, or Gruyere cheese.
• Variety of Tomatoes – Fresh tomatoes right from the garden are the absolute best, but if you’re making this throughout the year, fresh tomatoes right from the grocery store will work as well. I recommend getting a variety of tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, Campari, or heirloom tomatoes.
• Olive Oil – Drizzling this tart with olive oil is the finishing touch it needs. I use cold-pressed, organic extra-virgin olive oil. If you like balsamic vinegar, feel free to drizzle the tart with a balsamic glaze as well!

Instructions

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle.

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score a crust around the edge of the puff pastry and brush with egg wash.

Spoon farmer cheese in an even layer across the puff pastry crust. Drizzle with half the pesto.

Add sliced tomatoes in a single layer, gently pushing them into the farmer cheese, overlapping them slightly. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Bake tomato tart for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry crust is dark golden brown on the bottom and cooked through.

Slice into squares with a sharp knife and enjoy! Add a drizzle of pesto if you like!

Tips

• The best way to thaw puff pastry is in the fridge overnight. This will allow the puff pastry to slowly thaw and become pliable while still staying cool. If you forget to thaw it the night before, you can set the puff pastry sheet out on your counter and let it thaw for 20-40 minutes.
• It’s best to work quickly when assembling this tart because if the puff pastry gets too warm before going in the oven, it won’t puff up! The puff pastry needs to be cold when it’s baked in order to get that signature puffy texture and flakiness. If you’ve been working with the puff pastry tart for too long during assembly, feel free to pop it back into the fridge for 15 minutes to let it cool off again before baking.
• Add fresh herbs if you’d like! I love to add fresh basil but you could also use fresh parsley or fresh thyme instead as well.

Why Choose Lifeway Farmer Cheese?

• Farmer cheese has a versatile, mild flavor with a bit of tang that makes it perfect for both savory and sweet recipes. 
• Similar to ricotta cheese, it works well with acidic foods like tomatoes to balance the flavor and add a contrasting texture. 
• Lifeway Farmer Cheese is one of my go to ingredients so it was an obvious choice for this recipe! 

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This tomato tart is the perfect make ahead appetizer because it tastes delicious fresh from the oven or at room temperature!
• Storage: Store leftover tomato tart in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat the tomato tart in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

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This recipe was originally published in July of 2019. It was updated in August 2022 to include more detailed instructions and step-by-step photos to help you make this tomato tart absolutely perfect every single time!