Name: Easy Tomato Ricotta Tart
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry (thawed); 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for drizzling); 1 small onion (sliced); 1 clove garlic (sliced); 1 cup ricotta cheese; 1/4 cup Pecorino cheese (grated, packed or Parmesan); 3 large tomatoes (sliced, about 9 slices); Salt and freshly ground pepper; Fresh basil (sliced, for garnish)

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Delicious and easy Tomato Ricotta Tart, starts with store-bought puff pastry, with caramelized onions, a bit of Pecorino cheese and lovely tomatoes on top.

I'm all about the puff pastry lately, it seems :) It's just so hard to beat that easy, buttery, flaky, always in my freezer stuff. This past weekend, I made Easy Strawberry Pot Pie with it. With the sheet that was leftover, this Tomato Ricotta Tart was born.

If you've come home from the Farmer's Market with some beautiful Summer tomatoes, this tart is a very worthy destination for them. This tart is also a great Summer meatless meal, served with a simple salad.

I started my tart with some heirloom tomatoes. Underneath, a sprinkling of Pecorino cheese, dollops of ricotta cheese and a base of caramelized onions and garlic. It all sits on top of a sheet of easy, store-bought puff pastry.

This one comes together quickly and needs only 25-30 minutes in the oven. The only part you'll want to take your time with is cooking the onions, to be sure they're beautifully caramelized. You can do this part ahead if you like!

Enjoy this tart warm or at room temperature.

Ingredient Notes for Tomato Ricotta Tart

Tomatoes: Use the nicest tomatoes you can find, whatever the time of year. If it's Summer, look for perfectly ripe and juicy field-ripened tomatoes. Heirloom are nice if you can find them and add some extra colour to this tart. In the Winter months, I usually reach for Roma or plum tomatoes, which seem to have the nicest flavour that time of year.

Puff Pastry: Look for the pre-rolled sheets of frozen puff pastry, as they are just so much easier to use it a tart like this. They also thaw a lot more quickly. If you only have a frozen block puff pastry, simply roll one block into a 9 or 10-inch square.

Onion: I typically use just regular old yellow cooking onions here. If you only have red onion around, that will do just fine.

Garlic: Note that the garlic here is sliced instead of minced. The thicker slices are not only easy, but the bigger pieces won't burn and become bitter while cooking along with the onion.

Ricotta Cheese: I always use full-fat dairy products, so I haven't tested this one with a lower-fat version. They may be a little looser than full fat, but other than that, should work here. If you have an option, go for the firm ricotta, otherwise, use what you have.

Pecorino: Pecorino has such a salty and tangy lovely flavour, which is a great foil for the tomatoes. It's also a nice change from the usual Parmesan. That said, if you just have Parmesan on hand, that will work. Maybe use a touch more.

Basil: Basil and tomatoes were meant to be together! While fresh it best, even if you only have dried, go ahead and sprinkle some on the tomatoes, to enjoy the lovely flavour. If using fresh basil, hold off sprinkling it on top until the tart has cooled slightly, as basil will turn black when it comes in contact with hot food.

Salt and Pepper: The seasoning is what brings all these lovely flavours together, so don't skimp. I like to season each part of this tart, so I season the onions as they cook. I season the ricotta after I drop it on and then finally, I season the tomatoes before baking.

Cook's Notes for Tomato Ricotta Tart

Do note that you want to heat your baking pan as well as your oven. Placing the tart on a hot pan will help to ensure that your tart has a firm and crispy bottom :)

Taking the time to cook the onions until they are caramelized, adds a ton of extra flavour and really takes this easy tart over the top in the deliciousness department. It's worth the extra time.

My method for caramelizing onions, is to cook in a bit of oil until they soften and start to colour. I then add a splash of water (about a tablespoon), stir and cook some more. Then another splash of water and a pinch of sugar. The bit of water loosens up the golden bits in the pan and helps to bring that flavour into the onions. Repeat as needed with water until the onions are lovely and brown.

Be sure to cool the onions and garlic before placing on the puff pastry, to avoid the heat from softening the pastry. This is easiest if you remove them from the pan to a (cool) plate once they are ready. They'll be cool enough to use in 5-10 minutes.

A drizzle of balsamic glaze over-top would never be out of place with this tart, if you'd like or maybe a balsamic vinaigrette with a side salad.

This tart is lovely served warm or at room temperature. Leftovers will keep in the fridge, though the puff pastry will soften as it sits, especially with the tomato topping. If you want to enjoy the leftovers warm, pop onto a baking sheet and place in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes. That should re-crisp it up a bit.

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Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
Classic Tomato and Feta Salad
Tomato Bocconcini Flatbread