Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart

As the scorching hot summer days wind down into cool breezy evenings, tomato tarts have become a go-to light evening meal that we enjoy with a salad and some good wine. This year, I have been making a Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart, an easy recipe that comes together pretty quickly. The oven does most of the work.

Inspiration for my Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart

I grew up eating Chilli Cheese Toasts in Mumbai. As hungry kids, coming back from school at 4 p.m., we’d find my mother combining shredded cheese with finely chopped green chillies, onions, cilantro, salt and pepper, then slathering the mixture onto a slice of bread. Sometimes she would add a tomato slice or some green bell pepper. The toast gets baked or cooked in a pan with butter until the cheese melts. It was a mean snack, especially with Maggi Hot and Sweet Ketchup — a nostalgic ingredient I have introduced to my kids, and they are totally into it!

My love for tomatoes is NO JOKE!

As a kid, I loved tomatoes. I would devour three or four tomatoes every single day. My parents would joke all the time that my hemoglobin was high because of the humongous quantities of iron-rich tomatoes that I consumed. We didn’t get many varieties back then, but now I find so many kinds at Bay Area farmers’ markets: cherry tomatoes in various colors, heirloom, beefsteak, romas, early girl. 

This Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart is an amalgamation of my childhood memories and the best heirloom tomatoes from California. 

Ingredients for the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart

The ingredients for the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart are:

• Store-bought puff pastry: If you are adventurous, you can make your own puff pastry, but I use store-bought puff pastry for ease. The puff pastry is thawed, rolled out and partially baked before filling to avoid a soggy bottom crust.
• Goat cheese and ricotta: I love the creaminess of the ricotta and the tanginess of the goat cheese in the filling.
• Jalapeno
• Garlic
• Scallions : You can add finely chopped red onions too, but I feel scallion has a milder flavor and provides that summery, light freshness to the filling.
• Herbs like cilantro and basil: Cilantro and basil provide the vibrancy to the filling.
• Salt and pepper
• Red bell pepper
• Monterey Jack cheese: Growing up my mother would add Amul Cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese is the closest that it comes to Amul cheese.
• Heirloom tomatoes: You can use whatever variety you want, but I personally LOVE heirloom tomatoes, partially for how pretty they look and partially for their taste in peak summer.
• Flakey sea salt: I feel flakey sea salt like Maldon sea salt and tomatoes are a match made in heaven. They cannot be separated!
• Chives: Chives add a nice taste to the tart, and provide color and texture as well.

What does the filling for the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart consist of?

The filling is a mixture of ricotta cheese and goat cheese for tang. I add alliums like scallions and garlic; herbs like cilantro and basil; and jalapeno, for a California twist. After blending in a food processor, I add red bell pepper for more color, texture and taste. 

How to make the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart?

The mixture is spread on the partially baked tart. Then I add more cheese. In the 1980s, the only cheese we could find in Mumbai was a buttery, melty, salty, processed kind called Amul cheese. It’s now available in Indian grocery stores in the Bay Area, but I chose Monterey Jack for this tart. It’s the closest to the Amul cheese that I grew up with among easy-to-find cheeses. And it is one of my favorite cheeses!

Before baking, I layer sliced heirloom tomatoes on top of the mixture. You can use whatever colors you find, but I like placing different hues next to each other in an ombre fashion. As you see red blend into orange and yellow, it’s hard not to marvel at how pretty seasonal produce can be. 

What can I enjoy the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart with?

The Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart can be enjoyed by itself, or with a side salad. Do not forget some crisp wine such as a Chardonnay or a Rose.

Can I store the leftovers for this Chilli Cheese  Tomato Tart?

The tart is best eaten the very same time that it comes out fresh from the oven. The leftovers cannot be stored well.

What kind of puff pastry can I use for the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart?

I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastries, which are perfect for this recipe. There are 2 squares in the package, so basically you could double this recipe and enjoy two tarts for a larger party. Be sure to thaw the pastry in the fridge before preparing it for the recipe.

Where can I find Maldon sea salt?

My Amazon page shows that I have purchased the Maldon sea salt several times, for the right reasons! It is SO GOOD and goes perfectly well in sweet and salty dishes. I actually purchased the bucket from Costco this last time, because of the amount that I always use.

Other summer recipes that are popular on my blog are:

• Potato Black Bean Taquito Burgers
• Summer Squash and Corn Casserole
• Gobi and Paneer Beet Parathas

If you make this recipe, please tag me #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.

XO
Amisha

Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart

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5 from 1 review

• Amisha Gurbani

This light summery meal uses the best heirloom tomatoes of the season, along with a creamy, spicy, herby cheese filling. Enjoy with a salad and chilled wine!

 

Serves 4

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
• Olive oil for brushing

Chilli cheese filling

• 2 ounces goat cheese
• ⅓ cup ricotta cheese, drained
• ½ jalapeno, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 scallion, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Assembly and garnish

• ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3–4 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch slices
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
• Flaky sea salt
• 2–3 tablespoons chives

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Open the sheet of puff pastry and lay it on parchment paper on a large wooden board. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to extend it by half an inch all around.
3. Brush olive oil on top of the puff pastry. Using a sharp knife, score indentations around the perimeter of the puff pastry, leaving a half inch border. Using a fork, poke indentations on top of the puff pastry, staying within the border. Transfer the dough, on its parchment paper, to a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown in color. Remove from the oven. Using a rubber spatula, press on the puff pastry within the border, so the center is flat but the borders are still puffed up.

Chilli Cheese Filling

1. While the puff pastry is baking, make the chilli cheese filling.
2. Add all the ingredients, except the bell pepper, into the bowl of a food processor.
3. Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture. Remove into a bowl. Add the red bell pepper and mix until well combined.

Assembly

1. Spread the chilli cheese filling evenly with an offset spatula within the border of the puff pastry. 
2. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the filling. Layer the tomatoes neatly in rows, slightly overlapping each other, to cover the filling and the cheese completely, leaving the border all around. Season with table salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
3. Bake in the oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the crust looks slightly dark brown in color.
4. Sprinkle generously with the flaky sea salt and black pepper. Garnish with the chives.
5. Wait for 5 minutes before cutting into 9 pieces. Serve immediately.

Notes

What can I enjoy the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart with?

• The Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart can be enjoyed by itself, or with a side salad. Do not forget some crisp wine such as a Chardonnay or a Rose.

Can I store the leftovers for this Chilli Cheese  Tomato Tart?

• The tart is best eaten the very same time that it comes out fresh from the oven. The leftovers cannot be stored well.

What kind of puff pastry can I use for the Chilli Cheese Tomato Tart?

• I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastries, which are perfect for this recipe. There are 2 squares in the package, so basically you could double this recipe and enjoy two tarts for a larger party. Be sure to thaw the pastry in the fridge before preparing it for the recipe.

Where can I find Maldon sea salt?

• My Amazon page shows that I have purchased the Maldon sea salt several times, for the right reasons! It is SO GOOD and goes perfectly well in sweet and salty dishes. I actually purchased the bucket from Costco this last time, because of the amount that I always use.