Summer Roasted Tomato Tart
This roasted tomato tart always gets devoured in a hot minute whenever I serve it as an appetizer. It’s part pizza, part buttery tart, and packed with intense tomato flavor. It’s also fast and easy to make with premade pie dough, a little bit of Gruyere cheese, layers of bright, colorful heirloom tomatoes, and herbs.
This tart is one of my favorite appetizers to make in late summer when vine-ripened tomatoes are everywhere. I hope your guests will love it as much as we do!
If you love the idea of a tart appetizer, try my caramelized onion tart, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some key ingredients needed to make this roasted tomato tart. Substitutions and variations are in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Tomatoes. If they’re available, use two different colors of fresh, vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes for contrast and color. If you can’t find heirloom tomatoes, regular large or medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes are delicious too.
Pie crust. Use one package of premade pie dough (the kind you roll out) to keep this recipe fast and easy.
Gruyere cheese. It provides a rich, nutty flavor and holds the ingredients together.
Fresh basil. Sprinkle a few thinly sliced basil leaves over the top of the roasted tart for that perfect summery tomato-basil flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you prefer to make a homemade pie crust, try this recipe. It makes enough dough for two pies or tarts, so you can freeze one for later.
- If you can’t find Gruyere, use shredded Swiss or an aged Gouda cheese. I find mozzarella a bit bland for this tart, but if you love it, go for it!
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Press the dough into a tart pan. Use an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and spray it with cooking spray. Lay the dough evenly across the bottom and press it about halfway up the sides of the pan.
2. Layer the cheese and seasonings. Sprinkle the cheese over the bottom and then season with nutmeg, dried thyme, and ground pepper.
3. Layer the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes thinly (about ¼ to ½ inch thick) and lay them over the cheese in a circular, overlapping pattern, drizzle with olive oil, and then bake the tart.
4. Add fresh basil and sea salt. Add these after you remove the tomato tart from the oven so the basil doesn’t burn and the salt crystals remain crunchy.
Expert Tips
When slicing the tomatoes, cut them into similar-sized slices. This helps them roast and caramelize evenly.
I never blind bake (prebake) the tart crust. The tart filling is thin enough so the crust cooks and crisps around the edges just fine in the allotted time.
This recipe tastes best when served within an hour or two of baking. The crust will get soggy if it sits overnight. That said, leftovers are still tasty for dinner with a green salad.
What to Serve With a Tomato Tart
Serve this summery appetizer with:
- A crisp rosé or a strawberry shrub cocktail or mocktail
- A platter of fresh vegetables and green goddess vegetable dip or creamy white bean dip
- Marinated bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)
- A sweet and savory pear pizza
Heirloom tomatoes come in many varieties and colors, and each has its unique flavor and nutrient profile. While they all taste like tomatoes, some are less acidic, sweeter, milder, or more savory than others. Their color variations come from a range of compounds like lycopene, which accounts for red color, carotenes, which account for orange and yellow color, and chlorophyll and anthocyanins, which provide brownish or black colors.
No, I don’t recommend freezing this tart because the texture will suffer.
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Summer Roasted Tomato Tart
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pie crust thawed
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2-3 large Heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 medium fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Lightly spray an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the pie crust into the pan, and slightly up the sides
- Spread the cheese evenly over the pie crust and then sprinkle with garlic powder, nutmeg, thyme, and pepper
- Cut the tomatoes into even slices, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Arrange the tomato slices over the cheese in an overlapping pattern.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes.
- Bake 45-50 minutes until crust is golden and the tomatoes are soft and caramelized but retain their shape.
- After removing from the oven, add fresh basi and a pinch of sea salt
- Let the tart cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ah, if only late summer tomatoes could stretch on indefinitely – meals like this are so delicious and tasty and simple all at once! I especially love the combination of gruyere and thyme!
I completely agree Monica! Those late summer tomatoes are almost as good as those first ones!
This looks so simple and yummy! The perfect addition to any brunch or lunch. YUM!
Thanks Kelly! It’s one of my favorites!
I adore roasted tomatoes! The gruyere and herbs in this would send me straight to the moon!
I wait all summer to make this recipe 🙂 Enjoy!