Heirloom Tomato and Pesto-Ricotta Tart

An heirloom tomato dish when we’re just days away from November?

I know, but work with me people…..this crazy heatwave has got all of us in California out of sorts. Monday it was 97 degrees, Tuesday it was 99 degrees and today is 92 degrees —and I live on the coast!

Mother Nature is not happy. So in the meantime, you’ll get some summer inspired recipes from me.

I made this beauty for last month’s family dinner as an appetizer but it could easily serve as a main course with a nice side salad. Perhaps a peppery arugula salad? And of course, a cold and crisp glass of white wine to go along is a must.

This stunning tart is quite easy to whip together. All you need is a few ripe heirloom tomatoes, store bought puff pastry, ricotta cheese, some basil pesto and just a couple of other kitchen staples. I used some pesto I had made a few days prior, but if you prefer, store bought is fine too. Just be sure to adjust for salt as needed.

One thing to note is that since you’ll be baking the tomatoes (versus some other tomato tarts that bake the puff pastry first and then top fresh tomatoes on top), you’ll want to try and get as much moisture out as possible or else you’ll get a soggy mess. Just lay them out over a bunch of paper towels after they’ve been sliced and let them chill out for a bit while you take care of everything else.

After some quick assembly and about 30 minutes in the oven, you’re done! Creamy textures from ricotta mixture, brightness from tomatoes and fresh basil–and flaky, buttery goodness from the pastry dough.

Now excuse me as I stick my head in the freezer to try and cool down…..

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Heirloom Tomato and Pesto-Ricotta Tart
Serves approximately 8

Ingredients:

1 pound ripe heirloom tomatoes
2 large eggs, divided
2 heaping tablespoons basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
8 ounces ricotta cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
flour
1 package puff pastry dough (2 sheets about 10 x 15 inches each)
½ tablespoon water
kosher salt
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Cut the tomatoes into approximately ¼ – ⅓ inch slices. In a single layer, place the tomatoes on top of 2-3 layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place another paper towel on top of the tomatoes and gently press. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk 1 egg with the pesto. Fold in the ricotta, parmesan, garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes until all items have been incorporated. Depending on your pesto, you may need to add some additional kosher salt. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, overlap one of the pastry sheets with the other by about ⅓ inch. Gently press the seams together and roll out the combined sheet to about ⅛ inch thick. You’ll want to keep the dough in the rectangle shape and then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cut a 1 inch strip off each of the four sides of the dough. Beat the remaining egg with ½ tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the sides of the large piece of dough and lay each of the four strips on the corresponding side. Gently press the dough down. Once the tart bakes, the sides will puff up.

In the interior of the dough, evenly spread the pesto-ricotta mixture. Lay the sliced tomatoes on top of the mixture, slightly overlapping each slice. Brush the exposed dough with the egg wash mixture and sprinkle salt over the tomato tart.

Bake the tart in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes until the pastry dough has risen and becomes golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the tart to set for a few minutes before sprinkling the basil on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.