Beautiful tomato tart with a creamy pesto spread and fresh garden fruit and herbs. So impressive, but incredibly easy to make. Enjoy it as a simple side, afternoon snack, or served for brunch, it is sure to wow your friends and family!

Round out the meal with this sweet and tangy Lemon Tart and Watermelon Sangria.

With my son and daughter older now and self-sufficient, I’m spending this summer tending more to our 3rd child – my garden! I’ve had so many sugar snap peas, and now my cherry tomatoes and jalapenos are coming in. Whenever I see a new flower bud, it’s like Christmas!

Along with the fruits and veggies, my herbs are insane – I have more basil than I know what to do with, which means homemade pesto. Pesto and fresh garden tomatoes always leads to this Tomato Tart.

Puff Pastry Tomato Tart – Why We Love It

Put homemade pesto sauce, fresh tomatoes, and puff pastry together and you end up with this wonderfully simple Tomato Tart.

• Fresh summer tomatoes paired with flaky puff pastry were meant to be married.
• Pesto mixed with whipped cream cheese is good enough to eat off a spoon.
• It’s simply beautiful!
• Looks impressive, but is crazy easy to make.
• This tart is vegetarian, accommodating friends and family who need something meatless.
• Proof that having a garden is worth its weight in spades.

We love this tart as a simple side or afternoon snack, but it’s always so lovely served for brunch or at a luncheon. Cut it into squares or triangles, big pieces or small. Either way, it’s fresh, light, beautiful, and delicious.

Tomato Tart Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Tomato Basil Tart:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Frozen puff pastry: Thawed according to package directions. Once baked, it’s delicate, light, and flaky!
• Tomatoes: Fresh, sweet, ripe garden tomatoes are the absolute best here. Beefsteak, roma, and Heirloom all work. Pat the slices dry to remove any excess moisture, so the tart isn’t wet.
• Pesto sauce: Our homemade pesto recipe is packed with so much fresh flavor, but store-bought is fine, if you’re in a pinch. Buy the best quality for optimal results.
• Cream cheese: You’ll need whipped, softened cream cheese so spreading is super easy and doesn’t tear the pastry.
• Basil: This pungent herb has a distinct sweet and savory flavor and wonderful in this recipe. Fresh leaves are a must with this tart – skip the dried.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano: Freshly grated off the block, not the pre-grated kind.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic for aromatics and best flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Drizzled over the tomatoes, adding richness and flavor.
• Milk: Just a touch of milk gets mixed with the cream cheese and pesto, to loosen it up a bit and make it spreadable.
• Salt and pepper: For taste, to heighten all the other flavors.
• Egg and milk: Beaten together to make an egg wash so the pastry bakes up nice and golden.

Tips for Success

• Use fresh ingredients: The fresher the ingredients, the better the overall end result.
• Pat those tomatoes dry: Remove any excess moisture from the tomato slices to avoid a soggy pastry.
• Cover most of the pastry with the pesto and cream cheese mixture: It’s important to evenly spread the cheese mixture over the pastry bottom (not including the border), where the tomatoes will sit on top. This helps create a barrier between the pasty and fruit juices.

What to Serve with Tomato Tart

This tart is fresh and light, so I like to serve it alongside other light dishes. Here are a few ideas:

• Arugula Beet Salad
• Cobb Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Grilled Chicken Breasts

Other Garden Tomato Recipes

• Panzanella {bread and tomato salad}
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Tomato Biscuit Casserole
• Cucumber Tomato Salad

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!