Friday, March 15, 2013

Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta

From the recent Big Bad Wolf's booksale, I've bought this amazing book "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts" and there are already dozens of recipes that I would really love to try. Almost all of the recipes are really great for brunch, and this is one of them. I've used some of my Homemade Ricotta Cheese, (refer to my previous post), to make Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta, recipe taken from this lovely book.


Juicy sweet, Cherry Tomatoes




The recipe has given the option of making your own puff pastry or using store-bought. I have taken the easy way, by using the store-bought puff pastry. Please refer to the rolling and cut-out size in the recipe below when using homemade puff pastry. Since the one I bought are only 4" square in size, I have made mini tarts for individual serving, so I have skipped the part on rolling and cutting, and go straight to the ricotta filling.  


The filling is first made by mixing the Ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese (I used Cheddar), egg, minced basil leaves, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
Prepare the puff pastry : Score a 1/2-inch border along the four sides of the pastry, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Score the border with diagonal marks about 1/2-inch apart. Pierce the pastry inside the border with a fork.
Spread the ricotta filling evenly inside the border, then top with the sliced tomatoes. Here I have used cherry tomatoes and arranged them in a fun pattern of flowers.
Drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes and filling. Brush the border with some egg wash.


Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.  


Serve warm with some sprinkling of chopped fresh basil. I served this delicious tart with some fresh greens and more cherry tomatoes. The ricotta filling with bits of fresh basil and seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg is so yummy. A bite of the creamy filling with the cherry tomatoes, and the crispy light pastry is so good!


This definitely gets the Thumbs Up from the kids!





I'm linking this post with Little Thumbs Up, where the ingredient for this month is Tomato, organised by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and hosted by my little favourite DIY.




Tomato Tart with Basil and Ricotta
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Breakfast Comforts", Rick Rodgers)
625gm puff pastry or purchased puff pastry
1-1/4 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Cheddar)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, plus chopped basil for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1 tablespoon olive oil

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a 16-by-11-inch  rimmed baking sheet. Turn the baking sheet over, and place the parchment on the underside. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper. Refrigerate the dough on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. (I skipped this step as I've used store-bought puff pastry, size 4" square)
  2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 of the eggs, the 3 tablespoons minced basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. Using a serrated knife, slice the tomatoes into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Shake out the majority of the seeds (don't worry if a few seeds remain). Place on paper towels to drain briefly. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
  4. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Using a pizza wheel, trim the rough edges from the pastry. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, score a 1-inch (2.5cm) border inside the edges of the pastry, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Score the border with diagonal marks about 1 inch apart. Pierce the pastry inside the border with a fork. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly inside the border, then top with the tomato slices. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and filling. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Lightly brush the pastry border with some of the egg.
  5. Bake until the pastry border has risen and is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 3-5 minutes. Cut the pastry into 8 equal pieces. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped basil, and serve warm.
Variation : You can use just about any seasonal tomatoes, such as plum or cherry, adjusting the amount as needed to cover the ricotta filling.

#24/100


30 comments:

  1. Wonderful preparation. Loved the presentation.

    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Bake with homemade ricotta cheese. Although I don't know/ not sure how ricotta cheese taste like I think this bakes must be nice to eat!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This recipe sounds healthy and easy to bake. I have some store-bought puff pastry in my freezer and now I can try it out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So smart to put veggie or fruit on puff pastry. Nice recipe, Joyce.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Joyce, I love these tomato tarts, bonus points for those homemade ricotta!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Joyce,
    Oh! i love your homemade ricotta cheese.
    Your tomato tarts must be very flavorful..YUM

    Thanks for sharing this to LTU : )

    mui

    ReplyDelete
  7. Joyce , I don't know why we don't have the Big Bad Wolf's book sale here :D I can imagine all those books there and it makes me drool lol I never had a tomato tart before and your tartlets looks scrumptious ! Two thumbs up for your homemade ricotta :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Joyce, your tarts look great! I've made them with large tomato slices, but it looks so much better with cherry tomatoes, so will use them and try this recipe. I like the touch of nutmeg!

    ReplyDelete
  9. just as i'm seeing your tomato tarts now, i'm thinking of our turnovers...what to make ar? :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Joyce!! Love the colour of the tarts! I'm sure they taste good too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful little tarts!! I'm saving this recipe to try in the summer when I have fresh cherry tomatoes growing outdoors.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Joyce, these tarts look so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Eileen, Hundred Eighty DegreesSaturday, March 16, 2013

    Hi Joyce, two thumbs up from me :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Replies
    1. how to join little thumbs up? please explain to me briefly.

      Delete
    2. Hi Angeline,
      To join this month's Little Thumbs Up, follow the theme for this month, Tomato. Cook or bake anything with tomatoes as one of it's ingredient, post as usual, link to the host of this month, Doreen from my little favourite DIY. Go to Doreen's post on Little Thumbs Up, and submit your post in the linky. Very simple, the same way, just like your submission to Bake-Along. Have fun!

      Delete
    3. Hi Angeline,
      Oops, I have forgotten, Bake-Along is a blog hop, so all the links would appear in your post as well. Little Thumbs Up is not a blog hop, the link will only appear in the host's blog. So you just submit your post in the linky that can be found at the host's blog post.

      Delete
    4. no problem... thanks ya.

      Delete
  15. These tarts are lovely! I just planted my tomatoes today. I'm saving this recipe for when I stat harvesting. Cant wait to try it!

    Thank you for linking up!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Joyce, these look absolutely delicious! Love the home made ricotta cheese and tomatoes combo with the herbs on top.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Joyce
    This really looks real yummy. I better start to make ricotta cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  18. i also bought puff pastry but hv not decided what to do with it... now i know..hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  19. this looks real goooooood! yum!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Joy,
    This is sure a Thumbs Up from me, these are just awesome tarts. You always come up with the most awesome recipes. Have a great St. Patrick’s Day and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  21. Tasty and colorful looking tarts!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Joyce,

    Your tomato tarts look so pretty with bright red and orange colours. Totally agree that ricotta and tomatoes are great in this combination.

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
  23. Looks sooo pretty and presentable, and sooo delicious too... gulp...

    ReplyDelete