Tomato Basil Tart

August 2, 2007 at 12:01 pm · Filed under Cooking, Cooking Light, Food, Italian, Recipes, side dish, tomatoes

 

I’ve been making this recipe for a Tomato Basil Tart since 2002. It is one of the very few recipes in my collection that have received the prestigious 5 star awards from both myself and my husband because it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. This tart is so yummy last time I made it, my 14 year old sister and friend came over my house and were hungry and each ate two slices. She told me the next day, they wanted a third slice but were embarrassed to ask! My mom then later asked why I didn’t send any home as my sis was going on and on about how delicious this tart was. Impressive!

It’s one of my go-to recipes when I want to impress. I’ve learned from past experiences to never try anything new on guests (I’ve had quite a few disasters). This is a great summer meal, especially when tomatoes are at their prime, to serve guests- whether it’s lunch, brunch, or a light dinner. A fresh salad or some grilled or steamed vegetables would be a nice accompaniment.

Now for the modifications…For the crust, the recipe calls to use a can of breadstick dough and rolling it out. This is the only part of the recipe that is a mistake. It’s impossible to successfully roll out these breadsticks and make a acceptable tart crust. After trying this once, I’ve switched over to Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. Make your own if you can. I’m not a baker by any means, and therefore chose the easy way! I’ve also been known to use light ricotta instead of fat-free. The fat-free version just doesn’t taste right to me. This recipe does have quite a few steps and does take a little longer than you might expect, so give yourself some time if you plan on trying it out. Be sure to follow the steps for the tomatoes to get the moisture out. Tomatoes that are too watery will ruin this tart.

The results are a scrumptious, cheesy tart with great herb flavors topped off with fragrant juicy tomatoes. Enjoy!

Overall rating – 5 stars

Tomato Basil Tart

Cooking Light, August 2002

1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated soft breadstick dough (Use refrigerated pie crust! Trust me!)

Cooking Spray

8 plum tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 large egg whites

2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 4252. Unroll dough, separating into strips. Working on a flat surface, coil 1 strip of dough around itself in a spiral pattern. Add second strip of dough to end of first strip, pinching ends to seal; continue coiling remaining dough. Let rest 10 minutes.3. Roll dough into 12-inch circle; fit into bottom and up sides of 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Cover dough with foil; arrange pie weights or dried beans on foil. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes; remove weights and foil. Bake additional 5 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.4. Reduce oven temperature to 3505. Core and slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt, place tomatoes, salt sides down, on several layers of paper towels. Let stand 10 minutes, pressing down occasionally.6. Place basil, cheeses, pepper, and egg whites into blender or food processor. Spread mixture over crust. Arrange tomato slices over cheese mixture, brush with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until cheese mixture is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield 6 servings.

CALORIES 283 (30% from fat) FAT 9.3g (sat 3.9g, mono 3.5g, poly 1.5g) PROTEIN 15.5g CARB 32.5g FIBER 1.8g CHOL 19mg IRON 2.1mg SODIUM 863mg CALC 273mg

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