tomato ricotta phyllo tart
I don’t have a garden; I can barely keep a basil plant alive. But my parents have had one and my grandmother has one and many of our neighbors and friends have ones that we gratefully reap the bounty of now and then. We also have farmers markets, and I am thankful to each one of those vendors for not only growing their edible wares so well, but selling them to us black thumbs, too.
This post is a celebration of all the freshness and flavor of the garden in a phyllo tart form. In other words: a crispy, flaky, buttery crust topped with creamy lemon-herb ricotta and sliced heirloom tomatoes topped with salt and pepper. My only regret is that I didn’t make this recipe sooner.
(I suppose I regret that poor basil plant, too.)
I figured there was no better way to celebrate the garden’s bounty than with Athens Fillo Dough. There’s no better way to celebrate anything, really — may I remind you of those crispy, flaky, buttery layers? They’re my favorite. But that basil and chive ricotta, though. Oh, and those salted and peppered tomatoes.
OK so it’s ALL my favorite. One bite of this tart and you’ll likely agree.
A few notes: I brushed each layer of phyllo dough with olive oil, but melted butter works just as well and renders an equally pleasant flavor and flaky crust. The lemon zest and herbs mixed into the ricotta give it the perfect brightness to balance out the richness of the dough. I topped my tart with a variety of sweet heirloom tomatoes and grape tomatoes, but feel free to use whatever you have in your garden — or, if you share in my black thumb-ness, whatever catches your eye at the farmers market or the grocery store. And don’t forget to add a few generous sprinkles of salt and pepper. Don’t overdo it, but sprinkle it on with a liberal hand to get the most flavor out of those tomatoes.
A few more bits of chopped fresh herbs on top, and the tart is complete. All that’s left to do is eat it — which is something I am actually pretty good at doing.
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Easy Tomato Ricotta Tart
Description
Ingredients
- 1 roll phyllo dough about 21 sheets
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped, plus more for topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped, plus more for topping
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes sliced to 1/4-inch thickness
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay 1 sheet of fillo dough on parchment paper. Brush lightly with olive oil. Top with another sheet of fillo dough; brush lightly with oil. Repeat until all fillo dough sheets are stacked.
- In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, basil, chives, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Spread evenly on top of fillo dough, leaving a 1-inch border along edges.
- Top with sliced or halved tomatoes. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes until dough is golden brown and flaky.
- Cool tart slightly; top with more chopped basil and chives and salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Disclosure: I received compensation from Athens Foods for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
yesss please!! Puff tarts are my fav! Done in no time and soooo easy to put together. Love this ricotta version!
I’m just loving all the heirloom tomato recipes I’m seeing. They are the most beautiful tomato ever! This tart is a perfect way to accentuate their deliciousness 🙂
Dude, this tart is killer!! Those tomatoes are gorgeous!
Goooooorgeous!!! I love fresh tomatoes with basil, and that zesty ricotta is making my mouth water! What a beautiful recipe!
We can’t seem to keep much alive either! We got a few peppers and one tiny heirloom tomato out of our pots this year, but the others were a flop. I think it’s because our townhome patio only gets sun for half of the day! Thank goodness for farmers and gardeners who actually know what they are doing. 😉 Love this tart. So beautiful dear!
This is soooo pretty! I could make it my computer background..if I didn’t mind drool on my keyboard. The colors of all those heirlooms, and liberally sprinkled with salt and pepper..what could be better? Adding this to my MUST make.
That phyllo dough looks so perfectly flaky!! And I love your arrangement of the heirlooms, so bright and happy 🙂
I want to eat this every day for the rest of summer….
Those tomatoes!! This tart is perfection!
This would work great for a party dish! Delicious looking!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Oh yes please!!!! This just screams summer. We are finally getting ripe tomatoes from our garden and here’s the perfect way to enjoy them.
What a beautiful tart! So perfect for summer!
Fellow black thumb over here! But this tart – oh, it sounds heavenly! I’m going to have to head to the farmer’s market this weekend in search of tomatoes and basil!
Yes! The prettiest tart and I am always about a flaky, buttery crust!
This is so gorgeous!!! Those heirloom tomatoes, the phyllo, everything! AND RICOTTA 🙂