Caramelized Tomato Tart
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 704
- Carbohydrates g 45.5
- of which sugars g 13.7
- Protein g 26.9
- Fats g 46
- of which saturated fat g 26.33
- Fiber g 2.5
- Cholesterol mg 212
- Sodium mg 461
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 40 min
- Serving: 6
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
This caramelized tomato tart takes the classic French tarte tatin and gives it a fresh twist. Really good stuff. Instead of apples, this savory tomato tart includes juicy, tender tomatoes that spend some time in a hot pan with sugar and balsamic, turning sweet and golden. Seriously good. Everything gets tucked under a cheese-infused shortcrust pastry mixed with fresh thyme, giving it a herby kick and a crispy edge. And look, mozzarella adds a stretchy, gooey center, making each slice hard to resist—super tempting! It's colorful on the table—red, white, and golden—and the upside-down flip makes it look fancy, even though it’s pretty simple to make. People always notice how the tomatoes end up both moist and caramelized, which is kind of the best part.
Thing is, there are so many ways to customize this dish—swap in feta or stracciatella cheese, or add extra veggies depending on what's in season. Though it starts as a tomato tarte tatin, you can easily transform it into something like a caramelized onion tart or a puff pastry tomato tart by making a few changes. I mean, what makes it different are the Mediterranean flavors, especially with fresh herbs and that cheesy touch. Perfect for summer gatherings because it looks great and tastes even better when served warm or at room temperature. Whether you make it as a heirloom tomato tart for a picnic or serve it as an easy dinner with a side salad, you end up with something crispy, colorful, and always a hit. It’s a fun way to shake up traditional French cooking with a bit of a Mediterranean twist—fresh, bright, and just the thing when you want something different but still tangy and satisfying. This tart is versatile and can easily become a favorite at any occasion. And the sauce? Pretty much unbeatable.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the crust (for a 12-inch tart pan)
- Butter 0.67 cup (150 g) - cold from fridge
- Type 00 flour 2 cups (250 g)
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 2.7 oz (75 g) - to grate
- Sugar 2 tbsp (25 g)
- Egg yolks 2
- Thyme 1 sprig
- Fine salt 1 pinch
- Black pepper to taste
- for the filling
- Cluster tomatoes 4
- Mozzarella cheese 1.1 lbs (500 g)
- Oregano 2 sprigs
- Thyme 1 sprig
- Brown sugar 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Honey 1 tsp
- Butter 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Oregano to taste - dry
How to prepare Caramelized Tomato Tart
To make the caramelized tomato tart, start by preparing the savory crust: place the flour, thyme 1, salt, sugar 2, and grated Grana cheese 3 in a food processor with blades.
and add the cold butter in pieces 4. Run the processor to obtain a sandy mixture and pour it into a bowl, then add the egg yolks 5 and quickly knead everything by hand 6 until you get a compact and fairly elastic dough.
Form a dough ball and wrap it in plastic wrap 7, then place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Now prepare the filling: cut the tomatoes into slices about 0.4 inches thick 8, slice the mozzarella in the same way and let it drain in a colander 9.
Melt the butter in a pan over low heat, then add the oregano, thyme 10, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes to flavor, then lay the tomatoes in the pan, trying not to overlap them excessively, and brown them over high heat; add the brown sugar 11 and honey. Caramelize the tomatoes for a couple of minutes, turning them only once gently to avoid breaking them, then turn off the heat and let them cool slightly 12.
Take the savory crust dough, transfer it to a floured work surface, roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 0.4 inches 13. Line with parchment paper, previously moistened and wrung out, a 12-inch tart pan; roll the dough onto a rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart pan so it won't break 14. Press the bottom and edges of the dough well to adhere better to the pan and trim the excess edge with a smooth pastry cutter 15.
Arrange the slightly warm tomato slices and mozzarella slices in a circle, slightly overlapping them; start from the edges to the center (16-18) and finish by sprinkling dried oregano on the surface. Bake the tart in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 40 minutes (if using a fan oven, set to 320°F for 30 minutes). Once cooked, remove the caramelized tomato tart from the oven 18 and let it cool slightly before serving.