Fresh Cherry Tomato Tart

Anchored in a bed of nutty pesto, jammy caramelized onions, and salty feta, a bounty of fresh cherry tomatoes completes this delicious savory tart. Perfect as a hearty appetizer or a light summer meal.

My sister introduced me to Leonardo's Pizzaria in Vancouver [WA] some years ago. Leonardo's creates amazing pizza, with a dependably delicious crust that has exactly the right amount of bite and chew. 

Our favorite pizza at Leonardo's is the Little Oven Annie, a savory sweet fusion of caramelized onions, feta, spinach and a unique Grape Leaf Walnut Pesto - the perfect base for a tomato tart that will set your taste-buds dancing.

My introduction this unique and delicious pizza just happened to coincide with (a) my biennual tart-baking phase, and (b) a serious bumper crop of cherry tomatoes in our garden.

And now here we are. 

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Recipe Updated June 29, 2021 (Originally published August 21, 2015)

How to Make Little Oven Annie's Fresh Cherry Tomato Tart

Begin by caramelizing the onions.

This process will take no less than 40 minutes. 

Slice onions from pole to pole (root to stem), about ⅛"-¼" inch thick. Cutting the onions this way prevents them from breaking down too much during the caramelizing process.

Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter in a large heavy skillet over MEDIUM heat.

Add sliced onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start becoming translucent.

Reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW, and continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally for 40-50 minutes, or until they are soft, almost jammy, and rich brown in color. Remove from the heat and set them aside. 

What kind of onions work best for caramelizing?

It may seem counterintuitive, but avoid using sweet onions for caramelizing. Sweet onions will work, but will take significantly longer to cook, and the end-product has less flavor than that made with red and/or yellow onions. (Check How to Caramelized Onions for more on the Science of Onions.)

The type of onions you use can affect both the cooking time and the sweetness level of your finished onions. Personally, I prefer to use a mixture of red and yellow onions. 

PRO TIP: Caramelizing onions the traditional way – on the stovetop, low and slow – can be frustrating and time-consuming. We usually make our caramelized onions ahead of time and freeze them for when we need them. We use a foolproof slow-cooker method that bypasses the skillet and stovetop altogether. 

What's the difference between frying and caramelizing onions?

Grilled, fried, and sauteed onions are cooked at medium-high to high heat. Depending on your heat source and the pan you use, it will take 5-10 minutes to grill onions for a recipe. When done, they will be more translucent, with crispy, brown edges.

Caramelized onions, on the other hand, are best cooked at medium-low heat. It can take anywhere from 45 minutes up to an hour and a half to caramelize onions. When done, caramelized onions will be uniformly brown, with a thick, jammy consistency.

So can I make this with fried, sautéed, or grilled onions instead?

You can, and we have. Sometimes you just don;'t have the time to caramelize the onions. But when you do, you will understand why we encourage you to take the time. It is so worth the trouble. 

Make the Grape Leaf & Walnut Pesto 

Cut the stems off of the grape leaves and chop them coarsely.

Blanch chopped grape leaves by placing them in a pan and covering with boiling water. Do not heat on the stove. Let them sit for 3-5 minutes, and then rinse in cold water in a colander and set aside.

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat until it is hot. Add walnuts to the pan and stir constantly until the nuts begin to smell "toasty" and slightly darken in color. (Do not let them burn.) 

Combine the blanched grape leaves, basil, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil, and toasted walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. 

Pulse to form a textured paste. It's ok if there are granular lumps; you just don't want it to be chunky. 

The pesto-making process can also be done by hand, using a molciete, or large stone mortar and pestle.(The kind you might may guacamole in.)

Can I use premade pesto instead?

Yes! Absolutely! For most of the year, it is impossible to find fresh grape leaves; however, they are ready at exactly the same time as fresh cherry tomatoes, so keep an eye out at your local farmers' market. For this recipe, you can use any mild, basil-based pesto with good results. 

Once the onions and pesto are ready, you can assemble your tart. 

Preheat oven.

• Standard aluminum pie plate - 450°F [232°C]
• Glass pie dish & anodized aluminum plate - 425° F [218°C]

Lay the pie crust into a shallow pie dish or tart pan. Crimp or trim edges. I like to use a rolling pin to cut a sharp edge on my tart pastry. 

For flakier pastry, place the prepared tart shell in the freezer for 10 minutes before proceeding. 

Spread prepared pesto over the bottom of the cold tart shell. 

Layer on caramelized onions, and then feta. Cover the entire tart top with cherry tomatoes.

This tomato tart is baked at a high temperature for a short amount of time. 

Place prepared tart into preheated oven and bake 20 minutes, checking crust edges after 15 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover it with a strip of aluminum foil or a pie shield before you return it to the oven.

The tart is done when the cherry tomatoes begin to burst and the crust is a light golden brown.

Remove tart from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a chiffonade of fresh spinach just before serving.

More delicious, tried and true GHW recipes for our tomato bounty include Fried Green Tomatoes, Easy Cheesy Zucchini & Tomato Casserole, and Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Eggplant Stacks.

The most time-consuming part of this dish is making the caramelized onions, so start them first. Otherwise, it's a piece of cake... or tart.

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