Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Tart

A good tomato tart has two jobs: keep the pastry crisp and make the tomatoes taste more like themselves. The easiest way to do both is to roast the tomatoes before they meet the pastry.

This version layers creamy ricotta with roasted tomatoes, parmesan, lemon zest, and basil. It works as a relaxed lunch, a light supper with salad, or the kind of thing you can slice into small squares for a table of snacks.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6.

• 500 g mixed ripe tomatoes
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, about 320 g
• 250 g whole-milk ricotta
• 40 g finely grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
• A small handful of fresh basil
• Sea salt and black pepper

Roast the tomatoes first

Heat the oven to 200°C. Cut larger tomatoes into thick slices and halve cherry tomatoes. Arrange them on a lined tray, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and some edges begin to caramelize. They do not need to become dry. The goal is simply to remove enough surface moisture that it will not soak into the pastry.

Let them cool for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the ricotta layer

Mix the ricotta with the parmesan, egg, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, a pinch of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

The egg helps the ricotta set into a soft layer rather than staying loose. Parmesan adds saltiness and enough structure to keep each slice tidy once the tart cools slightly.

Assemble the tart

Unroll the puff pastry on baking paper and place it on a baking sheet. Score a border about 2 cm from the edge without cutting all the way through. Prick the centre several times with a fork.

Spread the ricotta mixture inside the border. Arrange the roasted tomatoes over the top, alternating colours and sizes if you have them. Leave a little space between some pieces so steam can escape.

Brush the exposed pastry edge with a little olive oil or beaten egg if you want a deeper shine.

Bake until properly golden

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry border is deeply golden and the underside feels crisp.

If the centre still looks very wet after 25 minutes, give it another five minutes. Puff pastry is better with a little extra colour than with a pale, soft base.

Rest the tart for 10 minutes before finishing it with basil leaves, black pepper, and a thin drizzle of good olive oil.

Why this method works

Tomatoes carry a lot of water. Putting raw slices directly over soft cheese often leaves the pastry steaming underneath instead of baking.

Roasting first concentrates the tomato flavour and gives the oven less moisture to manage during the final bake. The ricotta layer then acts as a creamy buffer between the tomatoes and pastry without becoming heavy.

Lemon zest is useful here because it adds brightness without extra liquid. Basil goes on after baking so it stays fragrant and fresh.

Serve and store

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with a peppery green salad, cucumbers, or simply a few dressed leaves.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat slices in a 190°C oven for about eight minutes rather than using the microwave; the pastry will recover much of its crispness.

For a variation, swap some of the tomatoes for roasted peppers, add a spoonful of pesto beneath the ricotta, or finish the tart with a small amount of balsamic glaze.