Tomato Tart with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Sun-warmed tomatoes are one of the best parts of summer. This tart lets them sing.
Fresh tomatoes are only good during the warmest months of the year, so I try to let them star in as many recipes as possible before they go out of season. Here, they’re arranged over a bed of Parmesan cream sauce and flaky puff pastry. This simple tart can be cut into large squares and enjoyed alongside a salad for lunch, or sliced into smaller pieces and served as the first course at your next dinner party.
Tomato Tart with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Sun-warmed tomatoes are one of the best parts of summer. This tart lets them sing.
Bella Castillo
- 1.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer on a cooling rack set over a Sheet Pan. Sprinkle them liberally with flaky salt and let them sit at room temperature as you prepare the rest of the ingredients, or even better, for a couple hours to really draw out extra moisture. Pat dry with paper towels when ready to use.
- 2.
To make the Parmesan cream sauce, add the butter to a medium Stainless Clad Saucier and melt over medium-low. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until browned and nutty smelling, about 3 minutes. Stream in the milk while whisking until combined and free from lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly to prevent scalding. After about 3 minutes, the mixture should be thick, bubbling, and able to coat the back of a spoon. Remove it from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan, salt and pepper.
- 3.
Preheat the oven to 400F . Prepare a Baking Slab by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk together the egg and heavy cream in a small bowl to create an egg wash. Roll out the puff pastry dough about the size of the Baking Slab and even in thickness, and trim it to lay flat inside. To create the crust, score the dough about 1” inside each edge, connecting each corner and making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom. Egg wash the outer edge, making sure not to go over the scored lines. Dock the inner rectangle all over with a fork, and create a foil pouch small enough to fit inside the scored lines with a little room. Fill the foil pouch with pie weights or dried beans.
- 4.
Bake the crust with weights for 10 minutes, then remove the pouch with weights and bake for 5 minutes more, or until just beginning to brown.
- 5.
Spread a layer of Parmesan cream sauce over the blind-baked tart, staying inside the crust. Arrange the tomatoes in a shingled pattern over the sauce and season with black pepper to taste. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until golden brown all over and crisp on the bottom. Finish with another sprinkle of flaky salt, slice and enjoy!
