Cheese and Tomato Tarts with a rich tomato ragu and creamy béchamel sauce encased in shortcrust pastry. The best vegetarian lunch!
Let me be clear: this is not a quiche.
That was the first question Chris asked when I put these on the table, and I’m pretty sure the kids would have turned their noses up if they thought they were quiche. I do enjoy a retro quiche on a buffet, but at home I wanted something different.
These tarts don’t rely on a wobbly egg filling. I did brush a little beaten egg over the pastry rims, but the filling is a combination of a savoury tomato ragu and a silky béchamel topped with sliced tomatoes and cheese. It’s creamy, tomato-rich comfort without the usual quiche texture.
I was having a vegetable day when I made these. I’d picked up some colourful cherry tomatoes (and ended up with three boxes), so I made these tarts and a few other veggie dishes. I still have tomatoes left, so I’ll put them to use in another recipe soon.
I used ready-rolled shortcrust pastry because sometimes I don’t want to spend ages making pastry from scratch — I’d rather get on with the filling and toppings. The result was a unanimous thumbs-up at the table. We served the tarts with a big green salad, and because we’re a greedy family, I also made pizza alongside them that evening. Tart and pizza at once — not helpful for the scales, but very satisfying.
Holiday plans are coming up, so I’ll probably try to be a bit more disciplined next week — but not before I enjoy another batch of these tarts.
The Cheese and Tomato Tarts Recipe:
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Cheese and Tomato Tarts Recipe
30
40
1 10
Ingredients
Tomato ragu:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
- pinch of salt and pepper
Tart cases:
- 320 g (11.3 oz) pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
Bechamel sauce:
- 45 g (1/4 cup minus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 240 ml (1 cup) milk
- 75 g (2/3 cup) mature cheddar cheese grated
- 85 g (3/4 cup) mozzarella cheese grated
- ½ tsp black pepper
Also:
- 1 small egg slightly whisked
- 10-12 small tomatoes thinly sliced (mixed colours)
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
- small bunch fresh thyme
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 210C/450F (fan).
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Make the ragu first. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan or saucepan and add the diced onion. Cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
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Stir in the tomato puree, oregano, sugar, tinned tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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While the ragu simmers, prepare the tart cases and the béchamel.
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Unroll the pastry and place six 10cm loose-bottomed tart tins ready. Cut the pastry into six squares large enough to line the tins, pressing the pastry into the grooves and trimming excess but leaving a slight overhang. Line each case with baking parchment and fill with a tablespoon of uncooked beans, lentils or rice for blind baking. Blind-bake on a tray for 10–12 minutes until very lightly browned to prevent a soggy base.
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Remove the tins from the oven and carefully discard the baking parchment and beans or rice.
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Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and whisk to form a thick paste. Cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat while stirring. Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until the sauce becomes very thick and smooth. Stir in the grated cheddar and mozzarella, season with black pepper and salt to taste.
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Brush the rims of the blind-baked pastry cases with the lightly beaten egg.
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Spoon two heaped tablespoons of tomato ragu into each pastry case, then top each with two heaped tablespoons of the béchamel.
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Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of each tart. Sprinkle any gaps with panko breadcrumbs, then scatter grated cheddar over the tarts. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing from the tins. Finish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve with a large green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
