Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Tart with Basil Garlic Crust

Sometimes choosing new recipes to make in the summer is a completely overbearing experience. Hundreds of thousands of recipes using the freshest of ingredients – what’s a blogger to do?

In the case of this Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Tart with Basil Garlic Crust, it was a no-brainer. I’ve been hanging onto the recipe for 2 years and FINALLY made it as the local tomatoes were on their way out last summer with the full intention of sharing it with you. And you know what? The recipe totally flopped.

Womp womp. With a gummy crust and watery filling, this was generally a major fail of a meal.

But I vowed to avenge myself this summer! I knew it wasn’t the recipe. I knew it had partly to do with the fresh mozzarella that I foolishly used. So it’s obvious note to you: don’t use fresh mozzarella in this tart.

I made a special stop this weekend at a local farm stand and picked up a few gorgeous ripe local tomatoes, plucked some basil from my pots on the deck, and pulled this tart together in virtually no time. Now that I was actually able to eat this tart, I fell head over heels for the ever-simple tomato-basil-mozzarella combination all over again.

The basil garlic crust was crispy and amazing, the perfect complement to the fresh, roasted, sweet, and earthy tomatoes, and gooey mozzarella. A sprinkle of basil over the top of the baked tart is the last piece of this puzzle that no longer confounds me.

We served this tart alongside some grilled shrimp but a small salad, or some grilled chicken or sausages would be great options as well. I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to make this again as the summer rolls on and the tomatoes really come into their own later this month.

Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Tart with Basil Garlic Crust

Prep Time: 10min (dough) + 1hr to chill + 15min to assemble
Cook Time: 35-40min
Yield: 8 side dish or 12 appetizer servings

Notes

You might be tempted to use fresh mozzarella in this tart since the natural friend of fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic is fresh mozz. But in making this tart twice before getting it right, trust me when I say that fresh mozz will make this tart watery. Go for the good old packaged variety that you slice off of a block of cheese. It melts better than pre-packaged shredded cheese and won’t leave your tart a sloppy mess.

Ingredients

For the tart dough:
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp Kosher salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 to 10 pieces
4-5 tbsp ice water

For the filling:
8 oz sliced mozzarella (see note above)
1-2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut crosswise into thin slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

01

To make the tart dough: Place the basil and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until finely chopped. Add flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter. Pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition. After 4 tablespoons water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if the mixture forms a ball. If not, add remaining water. Process until dough forms into a ball. Remove dough from processor.
02

Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk. Wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag and refrigerated for several days or frozen for 1 month. If frozen, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.)
03

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over the tart pan, and press it into the pan. Trim the dough, and proceed with the recipe as directed.
04

Preheat the oven to 375° F.
05

To prepare the tart, filling, and assemble: Press it into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom of the tart shell with mozzarella. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in a ring around the edge of the tart and a second ring in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
06

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has started to brown in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes before slicing. (The tart may be covered and kept at room temperature for 6 hours.)