Cheese and Tomato Tarts: Not Quiche

Cheese and Tomato Tarts with a rich tomato ragu and creamy béchamel sauce encased in shortcrust pastry. The best vegetarian lunch!

This is not quiche. I want to be absolutely clear about that from the start. When I put these tarts on the table the first thing Chris asked was, “Is it quiche?” It isn’t—there’s no wobbly egg filling here. Instead, these tarts are built around a deeply flavored tomato ragu and a smooth, cheesy béchamel, all baked inside crisp shortcrust pastry. I did brush the pastry rim with a little beaten egg to give it a golden finish, but the filling itself is entirely egg-free.

On the day I made them I’d gone vegetarian for the day and had come home with three boxes of colorful small tomatoes I couldn’t resist. I used them to make these tarts, and also experimented with a couple of veggie pizzas that are destined for the blog soon. The tarts were a hit: perfect for a leisurely lunch served with a large green salad or as part of a casual dinner spread. If you like vibrant tomato flavor and a creamy, cheesy topping, these tarts are a great choice.

I used ready-rolled shortcrust pastry for convenience—sometimes you want to get straight to the fun of filling and baking rather than making pastry from scratch. The pastry will blind-bake briefly so it stays crisp when the béchamel and tomato slices are added. The combination of tangy ragu, rich white sauce studded with cheddar and mozzarella, and roasted tomato slices on top is simple but very satisfying.

The Cheese and Tomato Tarts Recipe:

Cheese and Tomato Tarts Recipe

Cheese and Tomato Tarts with a rich tomato ragu and creamy béchamel sauce encased in shortcrust pastry. The best vegetarian lunch!

Ingredients

Tomato ragu:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
Pinch of salt and pepper

Tart cases:

320 g (11.3 oz) pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry

Bechamel sauce:

45 g unsalted butter (about 1/4 cup minus 2 tbsp)
4 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
240 ml (1 cup) milk
75 g (about 2/3 cup) mature cheddar, grated
85 g (about 3/4 cup) mozzarella, grated
1/2 tsp black pepper

Also:

1 small egg, slightly whisked (to brush on pastry rims)
10–12 small tomatoes, thinly sliced (mixed colors work well)
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (for topping)
Small bunch fresh thyme, to finish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 210°C/450°F (fan).
Make the ragu: heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan or saucepan. Add the diced onion and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the tomato puree, oregano, sugar, tinned tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
While the ragu simmers, prepare the tart cases and the béchamel sauce. Unroll the pastry and set out six 10 cm loose-bottomed tart tins.
Cut the pastry into six squares, each larger than the tart tin. Line the tins with pastry, pressing into the grooves and trimming the excess, but leave a small overhang as pastry will shrink slightly during baking. Line each case with a square of baking parchment and fill with a tablespoon or two of uncooked beans, rice, or baking beads to blind-bake. Place the tray in the oven for 10–12 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned.
Remove the cases from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment and weights.
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan, stir in the flour with a whisk to form a paste and cook for about 1 minute over medium-high heat while stirring. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, whisking after each addition to prevent lumps. Continue until the sauce is very thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheddar, mozzarella, and black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.
Brush the rims of the pastry cases with the beaten egg for a golden finish.
Spoon two heaped tablespoons of tomato ragu into each pastry case, then top with two heaped tablespoons of the béchamel.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top. Fill any gaps with a sprinkle of panko breadcrumbs, then scatter with the remaining grated cheddar. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tarts from the tins. Top with fresh thyme sprigs and serve warm with a large green salad.

Notes

Nutritional information is provided per tart. Note: 275 g (9.7 oz) of pastry was used in the nutritional calculation because not all of the pastry in the pack is used.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.