Tomato and olive tart

2
Points®
Total Time
40 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
One bite of this French tart and you’ll feel like you’re in Provence. This tart has all the flavors of the Mediterranean like tomatoes, shallots, olives, fennel, thyme, and garlic, with sheets of flaky phyllo dough. We use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes, because they are firm, meaty, and hold up well in cooking. To crush the fennel seeds, mound them in a small pile on a chopping board and drizzle with a dash of olive oil. Using a large chef’s knife, crush the seeds with a rocking, back and forth motion. If using a spice grinder, pulse several times until the seeds are finely crushed.

Ingredients

Plum tomato

5 medium, thinly sliced

Olives

15 olive(s), small, oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped

Shallot

2 small, minced

Fresh thyme

1 Tbsp, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried

Fennel seeds

1 Tbsp, finely crushed

Olive oil

1 tsp

Phyllo dough

8 sheet(s), 12 x 17-inch sheets, at room temperature

Havarti cheese

2 oz, shredded

Fresh basil

¼ cup(s), chopped

Instructions

  1. Place the tomato slices on 2 or 3 layers of paper towels; cover with more paper towels and blot gently. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine the olives, shallot, thyme, fennel, and oil in a small bowl.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cover the sheets of phyllo with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Lay one sheet of phyllo across the baking sheet; lightly spray with nonstick spray. Repeat layering the remaining phyllo and spraying each sheet lightly with nonstick spray. Roll the edges of the phyllo in to make a rimmed edge.
  3. Arrange the tomatoes across the phyllo. Sprinkle the olive mixture on top of the tomatoes; spread the mixture evenly with a fork. Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden brown and the tomatoes are softened, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the tart with the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil. Cut the tart into 12 pieces; then cut each piece diagonally in half. Serve hot. Yields 2 pieces per serving.