Name: Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 Single Pie Crust; 6 oz. Crumbled Goat Cheese; ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper (Freshly Ground ); 3 Tablespoons Bacon Bits (From a Jar or Package); 1 Tablespoon Wondra Flour; ¼ Cup Fresh Basil (Cut Chiffonade (about 18 large leaves)); 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 2 Tablespoons Minced or Pressed Garlic (About 3 Large Cloves); 8 Ounces Heirloom Tomatoes (Sliced ¼” Thick); ¼ Teaspoon Salt

Savory and cozy Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart is filled with layers of goat cheese, bacon bits, fresh basil, and topped with garlicky tomatoes.

It can be a light entree, a hearty side dish, and even makes a delicious appetizer. Just add a green salad and a great cab for a cozy bistro night at home.

This is a simple tart of juicy tomatoes and sweet basil atop a flakey crust filled with crumbled goat cheese and bacon. Now, you might be wondering about goat cheese and thinking you might not like it, but trust me, you will!

Rectangular goat cheese tart with sliced tomatoes on a white platter with a fork.

I’ve been making this dish for the last 25 years. It’s one of those delicious recipes that seems to be a good fit for a lot of occasions. I’ve made it for brunch, dinner, picnics, and special gatherings and it always makes a big hit.

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About This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
My Top Tip
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
More Delicious Brunch Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

About This Recipe

One of the things that makes this recipe a favorite is its versatility. Not only does it fit many occasions, but you can vary the recipe by using different types of pans, crusts, and varieties of tasty tomatoes.

I usually use an oblong tart pan, but you can use any tart pan shape, a pie pan, or even go rustic without a pan.

You can also change up the crust. I've made this with puff pastry dough, pie crust, and even crescent dough. When you are short on time you can use a refrigerated store-bought pie crust or crescent dough with the cute dough boy on the package. Although I par-bake the crust, I don't bother with using a piece of parchment paper, pie weights, or dry beans. They are not needed since the tart bakes again once it is filled.

And then there are the tomatoes, sliced Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes that are halved, and mouth-watering heirloom tomatoes are each amazingly good when they are in season. Each type of tomato makes an excellent version of this tart.

Can you see how versatile this goat cheese tart is depending on the season and what type of bakeware you have? Great!

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart Ingredients, clockwise from top right: Roma tomatoes, bacon bits, salt, black pepper, Wondra flour, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, crumbled goat cheese, and pie crust.

Here's what you need for this Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart:

Pie Crust - You will need one sheet of pie crust. You can use store-bought or make your favorite pie crust. (See alternatives below)
Goat Cheese - Creamy, smooth, with a distinctive flavor, goat cheese goes really well with Mediterranean flavors like the other ingredients in this tart.
Black Pepper - Freshly ground black pepper is best here. It has a spicy yet flowery aroma and its flavor goes well with goat cheese.
Bacon Bits - Cooked and crumbled bacon can be freshly cooked or precooked from a pouch.
Wondra Flour - Wondra flour is a special flour for sauces and gravies. It is the magic that keeps this tart from getting soggy from the tomatoes.
Fresh Basil - Don't be tempted to use dried basil. Fresh has a lovely aroma and adds great flavor to this tart.
Olive Oil - Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil that has a fruity flavor.
Roma Tomatoes - Ripe aromatic tomatoes are the best to use. (See alternatives below)
Fresh Garlic - Garlic will take this tart to the next level and using fresh garlic is the best.
Fine Sea Salt - Just a small amount of salt brings out the flavor of the tomatoes.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

How to Make Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Process Photo 1a - Pie crust is fitted into a rectangular tart pan and docked with a fork.

Process Photo 1b - The baked tart shell is lightly golden brown and pulls away from the pan slightly.

Preheat and Prepare Pastry Shell. Heat the oven to 400°F/204°C. Ease and fit pie crust into a rectangular or 9 ½" round tart pan with a removable bottom. Firmly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan and pierce the bottom with a fork (dock).

Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet or baking tray and bake it for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove it from the oven.

Slice, Mince, and Cut. While the tart shell bakes, use a sharp knife and slice the tomatoes ¼" thick, mince the garlic, and chiffonade cut the basil.

Process Photo 3a - The crust is filled with layers of goat cheese, black pepper, bacon bits, Wondra flour, and chopped fresh basil.

Layer. Evenly sprinkle the goat cheese, black pepper, bacon bits, Wondra flour, and most of the cut basil into the tart shell, reserving some of the basil for a garnish.

Process Photo 4 - Sliced tomatoes cooked in garlic olive oil are arranged on top of the tart and the leftover garlic olive oil is spooned over the tomatoes.

Sauté. Use a large skillet and heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 15 to 20 seconds or until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown.

Add the sliced tomatoes and sauté them in the garlic and olive oil for about 10 seconds per side. Using a spatula or fork, place the tomato slices in an even layer, decoratively, on top of the creamy goat cheese filling. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and drizzle any remaining olive oil and garlic in the pan over them.

Rectangular goat cheese tart with sliced tomatoes on a white platter.

Bake. Bake the tart for another 14 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Release the tart from the pan. Plate and garnish the tart with the reserved basil.

My Top Tip

♡ Using the best tomatoes that are available will make the tastiest tart. So choose firm, meaty, and fragrant tomatoes.

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Substitutions & Variations

Substitute Puff Pastry Dough or Refrigerated Crescent Dough. Any crust can be used for this tart.
Substitute Any Firm, Fresh Tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes also make an excellent tart.

Equipment

This tart can be made in a variety of tart pan shapes and sizes and in a conventional pie pan.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating

Make-Ahead: This goat cheese tart can be made a few hours before serving and served at room temperature.

Storage & Reheating: Leftovers can be covered in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After refrigeration, warm the tart gently before serving.

More Delicious Brunch Recipes

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Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart