Equipment
Ingredients
Base and Filling
- 320 g puff pastry, thawed if frozen, kept cold
- 300 g beetroot, peeled and cut into 1cm wedges
- 200 g red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into strips
- 100 g red onion, peeled and sliced
- 120 g feta cheese, crumbled
Aromatics and Finish
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked from stems
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 15 ml balsamic glaze, for drizzling
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, toss the beetroot wedges, sliced red bell pepper, and red onion with the olive oil, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Spread the dressed vegetables onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the beetroots are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Keep the oven on at 200°C/400°F.
Unroll the cold puff pastry sheet onto a fresh piece of parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a 2cm border around the entire perimeter of the pastry, being careful not to cut completely through the dough.
Arrange the slightly cooled roasted vegetables evenly inside the scored border of the puff pastry. Scatter the crumbled feta cheese over the vegetables. Brush the exposed 2cm pastry border with the beaten egg.
Transfer the parchment paper with the tart onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F until the pastry border is puffed and deeply golden brown, and the feta has softened and browned slightly at the edges.
Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if desired, cut into 6 slices, and serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- Pre-roasting the vegetables is crucial. Raw root vegetables contain too much water and require far longer to cook than the puff pastry takes to bake. Pre-roasting concentrates their sugars and ensures a crisp tart base.
- Do not skip pricking or lightly docking the center area of the pastry inside the border with a fork before adding your toppings. This prevents the center from rising as high as the edges, forming a natural vessel for the filling.
- For the cleanest slices, use a serrated knife and cut using a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down, which crushes the delicate pastry layers.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Pastry will lose crispness over time.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 10 minutes to restore pastry crispness.
