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Cheese and Tomato Tarts with a rich tomato ragu and creamy béchamel sauce encased in shortcrust pastry. The best vegetarian lunch!
“Super nice will be making them again:-}”
Nicky’s Notes
I must state very clearly right now. This is not quiche.
It’s the first thing Chris asked when I put it on the table, and I’m pretty sure the kids would have turned their noses up if they though it was quiche too.
I’m quite partial to that retro party dish that always appears on the buffet table! But I know not to bother making it at home.
I was having a veggie day when I made these tarts. I’d spotted some colourful tomatoes that called out to me (and made me buy three boxes!), so I spent the day making tarts, and veggie pizza recipes with homemade flatbread dough (on the blog next week!). I’ve still got a box of tomatoes left, so I think I’ll use them to video my panzanella with saganaki later on.
Table of Contents
Why These Cheese and Tomato Tarts Work
You get two different types of tomato flavour rather than relying entirely on fresh tomatoes. The cooked ragu is sweet, savoury and concentrated, while the fresh tomatoes on top give you little juicy bursts and a brighter flavour.
Then there’s the cheese sauce. Mature cheddar gives it plenty of savoury flavour and mozzarella brings that creamy meltiness without overpowering the tomatoes.
Most importantly, everything is thick enough to stay where it belongs. These should be creamy when you cut into them, not flood the plate with sauce.
And because there’s no egg-based filling, they have a completely different texture to quiche, something several members of my family consider VERY important information.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
Can I use puff pastry? Yes. Puff pastry will work instead of shortcrust pastry. It naturally wants to rise more, so make sure the pastry is well weighted when it is blind-baking.
You can also use homemade savoury shortcrust if that’s your preference. One of our readers did exactly that and loved the result.
I used ready-made shortcrust to make the tarts, because well, sometimes (80% of the time) I just can’t be bothered to make pastry. I’m too eager to start experimenting with fillings and toppings.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThe result was a big thumbs-up all round. They were amazing served up with a big salad. Due to the fact that we’re a a greedy family, I ended up serving the pizza alongside these tarts for dinner too. Hmmm tart/pie and pizza. Sometimes I need to see it written down in front of me so that I understand why the scales aren’t going down – despite my no-snacking-in-the-evening policy.
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Cheese and Tomato Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
Tomato ragu:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
- pinch of salt and pepper
Tart cases:
- 320 g (11.3 oz) pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
Bechamel sauce:
- 45 g (1/4 cup minus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 240 ml (1 cup) milk
- 75 g (2/3 cup) mature cheddar cheese grated
- 85 g (3/4 cup) mozzarella cheese grated
- ½ tsp black pepper
Also:
- 1 small egg slightly whisked
- 10-12 small tomatoes thinly sliced (I used mixed colour tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
- small bunch fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210C/450F (fan).
- First, make the ragu. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan or saucepan and add the onion. Cook on a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add in the tomato puree, oregano, sugar, tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to the boil, then simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off.1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp sugar, 400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, pinch of salt and pepper
- Whilst the ragu is cooking, make the tart cases and bechamel.
- Unroll the pastry and put 6 x 10cm loose-bottomed tart tins to one side.320 g (11.3 oz) pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- Cut the pastry into six squares – they should be bigger than the tart cases. Use the pastry to line the cases and push the pastry right into the grooves of the cases. Cut off excess pastry, but leave a bit of an overhang, as they will shrink back slightly during baking. Line each pastry case with a square of baking parchment, then add tbsp of uncooked beans/lentils/rice to each. Place on a tray in the oven for 10-12 minutes to 'blind-bake' until very lightly browned. This blind baking will ensure the pastry is fully cooked and not soggy later on.
- Remove from the oven and carefully remove the beans/rice and baking parchment.
- Now make the bechamel. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and stir with a whisk to combine. It should form into a thick paste. Heat for 1 minute on a medium-high heat whilst stirring. Slowly add the milk, a bit at a time, and whisk slowly after each addition to combine and remove any lumps. Continue to stir until the sauce is very thick, then stir in the cheddar, mozzarella, and black pepper. Taste and add a little salt if you think it needs it.45 g (1/4 cup minus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, 4 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, 240 ml (1 cup) milk, 75 g (2/3 cup) mature cheddar cheese, 85 g (3/4 cup) mozzarella cheese, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Take your pastry cases, and brush the beaten egg all around the rims.1 small egg
- Spoon the tomato ragu into the pastry cases – two heaped tablespoons for each. Top each with two heaped tablespoons of the bechamel.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top, then sprinkle any gaps first with panko breadcrumbs, then with cheddar. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.10-12 small tomatoes, 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the tins. Top with fresh thyme sprigs and serve with a big green salad.small bunch fresh thyme
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This cheese and tomato tart recipe was first posted in May 2017. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
🍽️ What to serve it with
For lunch, these don’t need much alongside them. My favourite is something fresh and crunchy to balance all that creamy cheese and pastry.
Try them with my simple green salad with vinaigrette. That sharp dressing works particularly nicely with the richness of the tart.
For picnics or summer lunches, add a bowl of my creamy potato salad or homemade creamy coleslaw and you’ve got a brilliant little spread.
🍲 More fantastic picnic foods
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Hi Nicky, can this be made in one large tart tin instead of smaller individual tins?
Can I make this as one big tart? If so, how long to bake?
Hi from downunder Nicky, love your recipes.. I’m wondering if I could make these tarts in muffin tins to use as finger food? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
HELLO THERE JUST CAME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE SAW THESE LOVELY TARTS – CAN I USE READY TART SHELLS?
super nice will be making them again:-}
Can you freeze these uncooked?