By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus cooling
- Rating
- 4(505)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Perfect for casual entertaining, this rustic tart can be tailored to whatever vegetables you have on hand. The key here is to use either precooked vegetables, or quick-cooking raw vegetables that won’t release too much liquid as they bake, making the pastry soggy. (See Tips below, for more.) So the crust tastes like a buttery cheese straw, an optional layer of grated Gruyère or Cheddar is scattered onto the bottom of the baking pan before the dough is placed on top. The whole tart bakes up golden brown, savory and wonderfully crunchy. Serve this on the same day it’s baked for maximum flakiness.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- ½cup shredded Gruyère or Cheddar (optional)
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 2tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest or finely chopped rosemary
- 1garlic clove, finely grated or crushed to a paste (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¾cup crème fraîche or mascarpone
- All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
- 1(14-ounce) package puff pastry, preferably made with butter, thawed if frozen, but still cold
- 2 to 3cups sliced vegetables (see Tip)
- 4scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced (reserve the dark green parts, for garnish, if you like)
- 4thyme or rosemary sprigs
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Microgreens, torn soft herbs or baby lettuces, for serving
- Lemon or lime wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
411 calories; 29 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 9 grams protein; 317 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. If you like, you can sprinkle Gruyère or Cheddar onto the center of the liner or paper in an approximate 10-by-13-inch rectangle.
Step
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, Parmesan, lemon zest or rosemary, garlic (if using), and pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.
Step
3
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer the dough to prepared baking sheet. (Place directly on top of the grated cheese, if applicable.) With a sharp knife, lightly score a ¾-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry, making sure not to cut the pastry all the way through. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
Step
4
Spread crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Arrange vegetables in an even layer, using just enough to cover the surface in one layer. Scatter scallions and thyme or rosemary sprigs on top. Lightly drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step
5
Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the vegetables are cooked through, about 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve topped with microgreens, herbs or baby lettuces, and accompanied by lemon or lime wedges, for squeezing.
Tip
- You can use almost any raw, quick-cooking or precooked vegetables here. Raw, quick-cooking vegetables include broccoli and broccolini, cut into ½-inch-thick florets; cherry tomatoes, halved and drained on paper towels; thinly sliced sugar snap peas; thin asparagus cut into 2-inch lengths (on a bias is nice); corn kernels cut off the cob. Or use precooked vegetables, such as roasted or grilled sliced onions, fennel, eggplant, zucchini or peppers; marinated artichokes; roasted roots like potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips or carrots; sautéed mushrooms or greens like spinach, chard, pea shoots, cabbage or kale.
Ratings
4
out of 5
505
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Cooking Notes
Carol Parker
I don't know why she didn't mention it, but Melissa Clark's roasted Ratatouille makes a divine vegetable tart, once the vegetables have been roasted. I make it on Martha Rose Shulman's Whole Wheat Yeasted Olive Oil Pastry.
Kathy H.
A single sheet of Dufour puff pastry comes in 14 ounce boxes and is made with butter. I am able to get it at Whole Foods. I'd check local retailers to see if it is available. Once you try it, you'll never settle for Pepperidge Farm again. Trader Joe's also sells 18.3-oz. boxes puff pastry made with butter, but that is for two sheets. It's much more affordable than Dufour. I have never tried it, but hear it's very good. I'm not sure Trader Joe's puff pastry is available year round.
CaptainNY
Used this as inspiration. Dufour pastry, fresh ricotta/chives/thyme/fresh oregano/lemon zest/egg/parm for base, topped with asparagus/chopped tomato/smoked salmon, drizzled balsamic glaze over top to serve. The straight-from-the-fridge leftovers the next day were, to me, even better than fresh out of the oven! Bottom of pastry was well-browned at 25 minutes.
Ricotta creme fraiche for sauce perfect solution
We experienced creme fraiche too runny for the base, but ricotta alone lacked the tang we love. Our solution: 1/2 cup ricotta plus 1/4 cup creme fraiche. Now we get the thick, firm base with the flavor profile to set off the vegetables. We also roast cherry tomatoes first, then add them to the tart to bake. This is now a weekly favorite!
marc
1/2 cup creme fraiche and 1/4 cup goats cheese
annie solomon
Not sure what happened, but the creme fraiche ran all over everywhere. Next time I will use at least 1/4 cup less.
KateG
Dufour puff paste is the way to go - I found it at my local health food store in Blairstown, NJ. And I love, love, love recipes like this that are a template for improvisation. I wasn’t able to get crème fraiche, but a small pkg of cream cheese thinned with heavy cream worked very well. Mixed it with smoked gruyere and some minced fresh herbs and topped with asparagus and thinly sliced ham. Elegant, tasty and easy - a winner.
Mary ONeill
Thoughts on how to veganize this recipe? Thanks!
Suzanne
The same thing that happened to Annie happened to me: when I whisked the creme fraiche into the egg and cheese mixture it suddenly turned into soup. It was like the consistency of buttermilk. I tried to put only a thin layer on the pastry but it still ran everywhere. I baked it anyway and it tasted pretty good, though looked like a mess. I’d make it again, but try to troubleshoot the soupy creme fraiche sitch somehow. Less creme, or maybe less whisking.
Romy Weinberg
I made two versions, for my first post-vaccination outdoor dinner party: one with sauteed mushrooms, grilled red onions and grilled red peppers; and one with brocconlini, asparagus, and scallions. I used Dufour puff pastry which is the absolute best. I also did the Gruyere layer on the bottom of the pan, which gave the pastry an extra lovely cheesy flavor. I agree with the previous comment about the refrigerated leftovers being even better than the fresh-from-the-oven tarts!
jeanna p
Melissa is not lying - this is equally delicious with roasted winter veg. wanted to share that i subbed the mascarpone/crème fraiche with 1/4 C heavy cream and 1/4 C chèvre and it worked beautifully. classic Clark: low key recipe with a delicious elegant outcome. five stars.
Kelly
This is easy and very pretty. I used up asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and scallions and will definitely be making it again! I actually made two - using Dufour and Pepperidge Farm puff pastry because I had one of each in freezer. Dufour was done closer to 25 mins exactly where as the Pepperidge Farm took longer - closer to 35. Same vegetables.
Ronnie
I agree there was way too much of the creme fraiche mixture and that it was quite runny. Great recipe though, just wish I had seen the notes before I made it. Even so, I used only about a third of the mixture which was plenty and stayed in the border of the pastry. Also, cooked about 20 minutes only to avoid to burning. Used broccolini, precooked shallots and peppers, and asparagus. Delicious. Also used Dufour pastry which came in almost exactly right size, so no real need to roll it out.
KSE
This has become our go-to clean-out-the-fridge recipe. We’ve done it with leftover ricotta from a pasta recipe in place of crème fraiche and with jarred pesto for a really lazy version. Haven’t worried about the precise size of the pastry; anything that fits on our half sheet-pan is fine! For our five-year-old, we add shredded mozzarella once it comes out of the oven, “hiding” the vegetables and making him “pizza.”
JosephS
To make this dairy free I used half a 6-oz tub of dairy-free Boursin cheese (from Trader Joes) mixed with an egg in place of the cheese mixture, and used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry that is made with oil not butter - a big hit with my dairy-allergic family.
Hill
The liquid quantity of the creme fraiche was too much. I reserved it and added an egg and some more parmesan along with leftover vegetable to make two small ramekins for future consumption.
Anya
Used this recipe as a loose inspiration: All-butter puff pastry. Used chopped multicolor carrot coins, thinly sliced mushrooms, fresh spinach, and white northern beans slightly mashed up. Combined with a whisked egg (white because we didn't have whole eggs), sharp cheddar, and lemon base. Placed pastry dough in a 9x9 pan, filled up with filling, folded pastry so it covered top of filling. Even though it was a summery dish, it came out beautifully at Friendsgiving.
deidre
Enjoyed this! My husband LOVED it. I used marscapone with rosemary. I charred fresh Lebanese squash chip, after sweating them and sliced onion rings in the grill pan; fresh cherry tomatoes chopped in half. Final sprinkle of za’atar over the top. Really great!!
MM
Someone asked about vegan options. I’m not vegan but noticed Whole Foods sells a plant based puff pastry. You could try that and then thin a cashew based cheese with just a little almond milk. Skip anchovies and add a little miso to the onions at the end for umami. This is a tougher one to translate into vegan though since so much of the flavor comes from the butter in the crust.
Bev
Used Boursin cheese thinned with a little sour cream. Total yum with asparagus and corn.
Amy
Like a few others commented, I used this a guide. I used just ricotta and flavored with lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. I carmelized red onions then on top added artichoke hearts (from a can) and cherry tomatoes. When it came out of the oven I drizzled good quality balsamic vinegar. It was delicious!! So easy -- and great feedback from my guests. Will definitely do again!
Mary
This is the best savory tart recipe! Sautéed spinach and leeks tonight, had asparagus and crème fraiche. The shredded cheese under the pastry is a must. Added a bit of prosciutto once out of the oven. Mine was nicely browned in 25 minutes. So good!
susan
This was way too fussy for the outcome. Flavor was good, but cheese stuck to the parchment paper and not the bottom of the crust, and even though I used mascarpone, I found the liquid too runny. Definitely not something I would want to serve company.
Marcia
For my palate the lemon at the end was essential. I used sweet potatoes and squeezed fresh lemon juice on them before serving the tart. Heavenly.
Suzi
I made the tart with Dufour puff pastry, 1/2 cup ricotta and 1/4 cup crème fraîche with the shredded Gruyère beneath the puff pastry. I used roasted green and orange bell peppers, with a bit of red onion, sautéed mushroom slices, and halved cherry tomatoes. Thank you for all your comments. It helped me made a perfect tart. Can’t wait to eat a slice with my neighbors at the potluck.
Carol G
Taking note of the creme fraiche issue, I subbed 2.5 oz of chèvre and added a heaping tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt (for the tang). I was also very generous with the parm because more cheese is better! I added fresh oregano because I didn’t have rosemary. I topped with 1/2 rough chopped red pepper, 1-1/2 loosely packed cup of spinach (then rough chopped), and chopped panchetta. My oven runs warm and the lower end of the cooking range was perfect.
eliza383
I make this all the time and love it. I’ve got a gang coming over for lunch on Sunday and husband has asked why I couldn’t switch to puff pastry shells and serve individual tarts to each guest? I’m not good at monkeying with recipes, any ideas?
Nancy
If you have Publix their store brand Greenwise has a puff pastry made with butter .
Nancy
Oh my goodness! This is delicious! After reading the comments, I did only use 1/2 cup creme fraiche. I suppose it's intended to be thicker? It was not thick. So I didn't use all of the egg/creme fraiche mixture. Obviously using less of the CF but the whole egg is likely to mean it's going to be soupier. I suppose I could only use half the egg??? Or thereabouts? It was still delicious and I will definitely make it again. Can't wait to try it with various vegetable combinations.
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