I love to rock out a tomato pie or tart when I have the free time during the summer. Ideally, this takes place when Jersey tomatoes are out in full force.
This is Anna’s Tomato Tart. It is a Barefoot Contessa special, for sure. This recipe is lengthy. Please read the instructions carefully because it lists options and it points out some crucial details with measuring and with how things should look.
This is not something to make if you are in a rush. Each step is timed, and the prepwork can be time consuming as well.
The end result is heavenly. The herbs and cheeses are truly the bffs of the glorious tomato. In this dish, they totally shine.
Anna’s Tomato Tart
Course: MainCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Advanced6
servings1
hour30
minutes1
hourIngredients
- For the crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, 1/2-inch-diced
2 cold extra large egg yolks
1/2 cup ice water
2 1/2 dried beans, for baking the crust (optional)
- For the filling
2 1/2 lbs. firm medium (2 1/2-inch) tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup whole fresh parsley leaves, lightly packed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed, washed and dried before measuring
3 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
6 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 lbs. grated Gruyere cheese (1 lb. with rind)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Place the flour and 1 tsp. of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough starts to come together.
- Dump onto a floured board and roll it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Put the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss gently. Set aside.
- On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to an 11-by-17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan. Don’t worry if it doesn’t fit exactly; you want it to cover most of the bottom of the pan but it can be a little rough on the sides. Place a second sheet pan directly on the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. Be sure that both sheet pans have flat bottoms. (You can also line the pastry with foil and fill it with dried beans.) Remove the top sheet pan (or the beans and foil). Using a dinner fork, pierce the pastry in many places. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the pastry during baking; pierce any spots that bubble up. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the mustard on the crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle a thick even layer of Gruyere on the pastry, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Place overlapping tomatoes in rows on top. If there is a little garlic and herb mixture in the bowl, strain it through a very fine mesh strainer, discard the liquid, and sprinkle the garlic and herb mixture on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of Gruyere and the remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmesan on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool slightly, cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
