Red & Yellow Pepper Tart
Submitted by reader334
Red and yellow pepper tart layers slow-stewed sweet peppers, provolone, and black olives in a savory custard over a pesto-painted crust. A colorful vegetarian tart that eats like the Mediterranean on a plate.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsThis savory tart is summer on a plate, all sweet stewed peppers, basil, and melty cheese held in a silky custard. The colors alone, ribbons of red and yellow bell pepper, make it a centerpiece.
The flavor hinges on properly stewing the peppers. Don’t rush them. Cook them low and covered with onion and garlic until they collapse into something soft and jammy-sweet. That patient cooking concentrates their sugars, the difference between bland and luscious.
A clever layer of fresh basil puree, blended with garlic and Parmesan, gets painted right onto the crust. It seeps a bright, herby flavor up through the tart and helps seal the pastry against the custard.
Provolone and black olives go in for richness and a salty, briny bite, then a light cream-and-egg custard is poured over to bind it all. Bake until golden and just set, and rest it before slicing so the custard firms.
Chef Tips
- Stew the peppers slowly until truly soft and sweet. Undercooked, they stay watery and bland in the tart.
- Partially prebake an unyeasted crust so the bottom doesn’t go soggy under the custard.
- Don’t overfill. Pour the custard to just below the rim, since it puffs slightly as it bakes.
- Rest the tart 5 to 10 minutes after baking so the custard sets enough to slice cleanly.
Variations
- Use roasted or jarred peppers as a shortcut when you’re pressed for time.
- Swap provolone for fontina, mozzarella, or goat cheese.
- Stir capers or anchovies into the pepper mixture for a more savory, Provencal edge.
Ingredients
Directions
PREPARE THE TART DOUGH. If you are using unyeasted crust, partially prebake it.
Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and veins, then halve them crosswise and slice very thinly.
Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide pan, add the peppers, onion, half the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Sauté over medium-high heat for several minutes, then lower the heat, add the water or white wine, cover and stew until the peppers and onion are very soft and sweet.
If the peppers and onion threaten to stick as the sugars are released, add additional small amounts of water or wine.
Taste for salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper when the peppers and onion are finished cooking. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a blender jar with the remaining garlic and a few of the basil leaves and puree.
Gradually add the rest of the basil leaves, using more oil if necessary.
Scrape the purée out of the jar, stir in the Parmesan or Romano cheese and season with salt.
If using the yeasted tart dough, prepare the shell, then make the custard. Beat the eggs and yolks together, then add the cream, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Paint the crust with the basil purée, then lay half the grated Provolone cheese on top, followed by the peppers and onion, and the olives.
Add the remaining cheese, then the custard.
Bake the tart in the center of the oven until it is golden brown, and set, 35 to 40 minutes.
Let the tart rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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