Puff pastry in the freezer is one of the most useful things a kitchen can contain. This roasted cherry tomato tart came about because the cherry tomatoes needed using, the wild asparagus had arrived — either foraged locally or delivered by a generous neighbour, depending on the season — and the mozzarella wasn't going to last another day. Twenty minutes of preparation and fifteen minutes in the oven.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart - Casa Adora
The slow-roasted tomatoes are the foundation. Cut side up, a couple of garlic cloves tucked in, olive oil, dried oregano, black pepper. Let them collapse and concentrate in a low oven while everything else gets sorted. The balsamic onions come next — sautéed slowly until soft and beginning to catch at the edges, then a generous splash of balsamic vinegar at the end to glaze. The asparagus goes on raw, tossed in olive oil and oregano, and finishes cooking on top of the tart.
The pastry itself gets a ten-minute blind bake first — just enough to puff and begin to colour before the toppings go on. Everything then goes back into the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are golden.
It is the kind of dish that looks considerably more considered than the effort involved.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart — Ingredients
(serves 2)
- 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- A bunch of wild asparagus, roughly chopped
- 1 mozzarella ball, torn
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- A big splash of balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Black pepper
Method
- Slow-roast the cherry tomatoes cut side up with the garlic cloves, a drizzle of olive oil, dried oregano, and black pepper in a low oven until collapsed and concentrated — about 30 minutes at 160°C.
- Sauté the onion over a medium heat until soft and beginning to colour. Add the balsamic vinegar, stir, and turn off the heat.
- Roll out the pastry onto a baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven (200°C) for 10 minutes until puffed and beginning to colour.
- Toss the asparagus with olive oil, oregano, and black pepper. Tear the mozzarella into a bowl with the asparagus.
- Arrange the tomatoes, onions, mozzarella, and asparagus over the pastry. Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
If you want to make your own sunblushed tomatoes for this tart, my Homemade Sunblushed Cherry Tomatoes walks through it.
If you'd rather let wild asparagus shine on its own, my Wild Asparagus with Parmesan Shavings and Balsamic Vinegar keeps it simple – just a hot griddle, good Parmesan, and a decent balsamic.
This roasted cherry tomato tart is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses collection.
Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
