My cherry tomato tart is a beautiful celebration of summer flavors, featuring balsamic roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and herbed Boursin cheese. It’s all piled onto pre-made puff pastry, making it extra easy to whip up for guests or serve as a snack, appetizer, or meal for your family. Each slice of this vegetarian delight is bursting with flavor!
This cherry tomato tart recipe just screams summer to me! It looks like one of those recipes you’d see on the menu of an upscale restaurant or as the cover photo of a cooking-centered magazine, similar to the Heirloom Tomato Salad. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret…it’s WAY easier to prepare than it looks!
Seriously, you only need a handful of ingredients, some of which you probably have on hand. I made the crust with freezer puff pastry and used Boursin cheese instead of homemade herbed cheese. You can of course use homemade versions of these ingredients if you want, but the pre-made options save a ton of time. Side note: be sure to check out the Ingredients section in the post for tips on choosing puff pastry if you are interested in my recommended brand.
The cherry tomatoes are pretty much the only thing you need to prep from scratch, and even they’re incredibly easy to make. Toss them with some balsamic, olive oil, and garlic, roast to perfection, and scatter on top of the cheese. YUM.
Such a simple-yet-fancy recipe is just perfect for wow-ing your guests at your next summer gathering. I’ve served it as a snack, side, or main dish. It’s also great as a weeknight dinner, not just for entertaining! However you enjoy your tart, be sure to let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to hear how you like it.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Puff pastry: Use frozen puff pastry, preferably one that is 12 to 14 ounces and rolls out to a 10×15-inch rectangle. Many, but not all, frozen puff pastries contain small amounts of hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats. Since trans fats may be harmful to heart health, I generally recommend choosing a puff pastry without hydrogenated oils. Puff pastry made with real butter is my preferred choice. I love using Dufour brand frozen puff pastry for this reason! You can of course make this cherry tomato tart using any kind of puff pastry, but I wanted to put in my two cents!
- Egg wash: I like to brush egg wash around the edges of the tart so that they develop a nice glaze in the oven. This is optional, but if you decide to do it, you’ll need an egg and a little water.
- Cherry tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes work in this recipe. It will be extra pretty if you use multicolored tomatoes!
- Extra virgin olive oil: I love Partanna brand.
- Balsamic vinegar: Use this to roast the tomatoes. You can omit it if you don’t have any on hand, but it does add great flavor.
- Garlic: Obviously, fresh garlic is a must here. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out since the Boursin cheese has so much flavor.
- Boursin cheese: I used the Garlic and Fine Herbs variety, but I imagine the recipe would taste delicious with some of their other varieties too. If you can’t find Boursin cheese, you could use any spreadable cheese mixed with garlic and herbs.
- Basil: Can you really serve tomatoes without fresh basil?!
Instructions
The full recipe card for cherry tomato tart is at the bottom of the post. In the meantime, here’s a preview of the instructions with photos to guide you.
Before prepping the tart, make sure you thawed the puff pastry according to package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cut the basil into strips. For tips, see my tutorial on How to Cut Basil Chiffonade.
Prepare the puff pastry by unfolding or rolling it out into a rectangle. Put it on a lined baking sheet. I recommend using a half sheet, such as my beloved Nordicware half sheet pan, so you have enough space for the pastry. Using a knife, score a line about ½ inch from the sides to make a border. This will help the edges puff up. Be careful not to slice through the pastry. Next, use a fork to prick the pastry all over inside the border. Finally, whisk together an egg and a teaspoon of water and brush the edges with this mixture.
Put the puff pastry in the oven on a different rack than the tomatoes. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly browned but not fully baked. You’ll know the puff pastry isn’t fully baked if it’s puffed up when you take it out of the oven but then it quickly deflates. Once it deflates, crumble the Boursin cheese inside the border.
Scatter the roasted tomatoes on top of the cheese. Put the pastry back in the oven for 10 to 15 more minutes until the edges are a darker brown and the center of the pastry is no longer inflated.
After your cherry tomato tart finishes baking, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. If desired, add a drizzle of balsamic reduction/glaze. Slice into pieces, and enjoy!
Storage and Reheating
This fresh recipe is best enjoyed right away, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. You can eat them cold or reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serving
Serve your cherry tomato tart as an appetizer, snack, side, or main dish. It’s very versatile! I love pairing it with a simple mixed green salads or my Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup. If you’re looking for a similar recipe, check out the Roasted Veggie Flatbread.
More Tomato Recipes
- Garden Vegetable Bread with Cheese
- Cold Bruschetta Dip with Crème Fraîche
- Pesto Wraps with Chickpeas
- Vegan Tomato Bisque with Cashews
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 14 ounces frozen puff pastry - see notes, thawed according to package instructions
- 1 egg - plus 1 teaspoon water for an egg wash
- 5.2 ounces Boursin cheese - garlic and fine herbs variety
- 2 tablespoons basil chiffonade - more to taste
Instructions
- Before starting the recipe, make sure you thaw the puff pastry according to package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the cherry tomatoes on it, and toss them with the olive oil, balsamic, and garlic. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until they are tender and caramelized while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roll out/form the puff pastry into a rectangle on top of the lined baking sheet. Use a knife to score a border ½-inch in from the sides. Be careful not to actually slice through the pastry; you just want the indentation of a border. Then, take a fork and prick holes all over the area inside the border. If desired, whisk an egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush the egg wash over the edges (but not over the area inside the border). This will help the border puff up and develop a nice glaze in the oven.
- Put the pastry in the oven, on a different rack than the tomatoes, and bake for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned but the pastry is not fully baked through. You will know that the pastry is not baked through if it is puffed up but quickly deflates after removing it from the oven.
- Once the pastry deflates, crumble the Boursin cheese over the area inside the edges. Be careful to only crumble, not spread, the cheese because spreading it will cause the pastry to flake apart. The cheese crumbles will melt and spread out under the tomatoes during baking. By this point, the tomatoes should hopefully be finished roasting. Once they're finished, scatter them over the Boursin crumbles.
- Return the tart back to the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes until the edges are a darker brown and the center is baked through and no longer so inflated.
- Remove the tart from the oven. Sprinkle with the basil chiffonade before serving. If desired, drizzle with balsamic glaze/reduction.
- Cut the tart into 12 pieces. Serve and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Puff pastry notes: I like to use frozen puff pastry made with real butter, such as Dufour brand. Other puff pastries would also work but depending on the brand, they may contain hydrogenated oils/trans fats. Use a 12 to 14 ounce package and roll out/form the sheets of puff pastry into a rectangle that’s about 10×15 inches.
- Substitutions: You can use homemade puff pastry instead of frozen and make a homemade herbed cheese instead of using Boursin. Combine ricotta or mascarpone with garlic and chopped herbs of choice.
- Storage: Keep leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Enjoy cold or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
Enjoy this beautiful recipe! – Lizzie
Betsy
This one is a keeper. I used fresh tomatoes from the garden and Dufour puff pastry as suggested. Savory deliciousness in every bite. Many thanks!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Betsy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It’s perfect for garden tomatoes. Thanks for your review!
Mary LeeStein
Delicious, pretty, easy. Very good directions
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Mary, thanks so much for your 5-star review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and found the directions helpful.
Jenny Streit
This is delicious, and just as yummy eaten cold straight from the refrigerator the next day! Thanks for the tip about the Dufour brand puff pastry, which was available in my grocery store freezer section. I cut my cherry tomatoes in half before roasting; I don’t know if it was necessary, but it didn’t hurt!
I served this with your Chilled Cucumber Avocado soup. They paired beautifully.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Jenny, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and that you found Dufour puff pastry. I agree that it’s delicious eaten cold the next day too! Yum. Thanks for your 5-star review!