This Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart is something I have been fiddling with for several years now, trying to get it just right. Then out of the blue last night, we got it!
Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart is a blend of amazing flavors.
It is one of our favorite summer recipes, literally bursting with flavor. The sweetness of the tomatoes, creaminess of the ricotta, and the amazing flavor of roasted garlic on top of a crispy puff pastry crust is a true thing of beauty.
From Garden to freezer
We always have a mix of cherry and pear tomatoes every year in the garden. One of our favorite things to do is make sure we have several batches of these roasted with garlic and stored in the freezer.
We use our frozen supply for the Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart in the winter, as well as pasta dishes.
Why roast the Tomatoes?
The tomatoes get even sweeter when roasted, are slightly chewy, and develop a deeper flavor. They are pretty tasty right off the pan!
How About That Garlic!
Roasted garlic is just an amazing thing to me. It is creamy, mild, and sweet, full of that glorious garlic flavor without the bite. I enjoy spreading it straight on toasted Asiago cheese bread, when I can find it.
It is also wonderful in pasta, in Roasted Garlic Cheese Bread (coming soon) and this Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart. Heck, I eat the roasted garlic plain! Happy sighs!
Prep ahead of time
To get this beautiful Roasted Tomato Garlic Tart started, the tomatoes and garlic need to be roasted. This is definitely a dish where part of the prep can be done earlier in the day. In fact, I recommend it.
The tomatoes take about 25 – 30 minutes to roast. Tomatoes are so easy to do, just rinse them off, and put them onto a baking tray. Add the 7-8 cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and they are oven-bound.
The trick with roasting garlic
The roasted garlic itself is also really easy. I used to think I had to have a little clay garlic roaster to do this, until I found this trick years ago on, of all places, The Food Channel http://foodchannel.com
First, cut the tops off of each head of garlic. Second, place in the middle of a square of tinfoil. Third, add a small amount of olive oil and coarse ground salt. Lastly, wrap that little bundle of heaven up and toss it in the oven.
Note: The garlic heads take about 55 – 60 minutes. The tomatoes and garlic will be roasted in the oven at 350 degrees F.
*Keep track of time and start the garlic heads first, then add the tomatoes later.*
Prepping rest of ingredients
Once the roasted tomatoes and garlic are done, they need to be put aside to cool. Place the roasted tomatoes in the fridge until it is time to use them again.
Tip: Have your puff pastry out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before handling. The pastry is less likely to tear and crack with handling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prep the garlic once cool enough to handle (see recipe instructions) and begin mixing your ricotta cheese spread. Put aside until ready to use.
Begin rolling out your puff pastry dough until you have about 10×14 inch in size. don’t forget to poke your holes in the pastry. This helps prevent the pastry from puffing off all your toppings! Wouldn’t that be awkward!
Putting it all together
Take your tomatoes out of the fridge and place them in a sieve to help get rid of any extra fluids. No one wants a soggy tart.
Spread out your roasted garlic ricotta mix onto the puff pastry. Leave about a one inch border on all sides.
Add the roasted tomatoes on top of the ricotta spread.
Crimp the edges of the puff pastry, like you would a pie crust. This is why the one inch space is needed. Also, the crimped edges help with any initial leakage during the cooking process.
Tip: Use a pastry brush and dip in the beaten egg. Paint all exposed edges of the outer puff pastry. This helps the puff pastry turn a nice golden brown once cooked.
Place your Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart in the oven for 35-40 minutes then let cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
Wrap up
This is one of our favorite recipes to make and has a wonderful blend of flavors. Not only does this tart taste great but it is also a beautiful presentation for a meal.
This is a longer recipe with plenty of room for prep ahead time, but be sure to read the recipe all the way through before you begin. We hope you enjoy!
Roasted Tomato Garlic and Ricotta Tart
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry and/or pear tomatoes
- 3 heads of garlic
- 7-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta (I used part-skim)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 3 generous pinches of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- STEP 1 (this can be done earlier in the day)
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Rinse the tomatoes and drain, then place onto a baking sheet. Add the rough chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, toss to coat. Place in oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until tomatoes have burst, and appear wrinkled. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then refrigerate until needed.
- For the roasted garlic, cut off the top 1/4 of each head of garlic. This will expose each of the cloves inside. Place each one onto a square of aluminum foil, top each garlic with a tsp of olive oil and pinch of salt. Take the foil and pull up around the garlic, gently twisting at the top, to make a handle. Place in the oven at the same temp as the tomatoes, for about 50 – 55 minutes. Remove and leave wrapped, allow to cool.
- STEP 2
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Remove puff pastry from fridge, let sit at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Unwrap the roasted garlic, and remove the cloves from the skin. This can be done with a fork, one at a time, or, the whole head of garlic can be given a good squeeze, until all of the garlic is squished out. (watch for small pieces of garlic skin, either method used may force a piece loose)
- Place the garlic into a small bowl, and using the back of a spoon, mash garlic until it is fairly smooth. Stir in the ricotta and Parmesan, mixing until well combined.
- Take the tomatoes out of the refrigerator, and place in a sieve to drain any extra juice.
- Tear off a sheet of parchment paper about the same size as your baking sheet. Place the puff pastry on it, and roll the dough out to approximately 10×14 inches. Using a fork, prick the dough all across, leaving a 1-inch border. Place the dough and parchment paper onto the baking sheet.
- Take the ricotta mixture and dollop across the crust, then spread it evenly. (you may have extra ricotta, FYI, it is great over pasta!) Once the ricotta is down, take the tomatoes, and spoon them on top of the cheese. Cover as much space as you can, leaving the 1-inch border.
- For the crust, fold and crimp the edges just like you would a pie crust, then using a pastry brush, paint the crust with the egg. This will help give it a beautiful golden crust.
- STEP 3
- Place in the oven on the bottom rack for 35 -40 minutes. You want the crust to be nice and golden brown, as crisp as possible on the bottom. I used a butter knife to lift a corner to peek at the bottom. Remove from oven, allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!!
Related posts:
Powered by YARPP.
yvonne 
