Italian Savory Eggplant Tart (+Video)
Italian Savory Eggplant Tart is a delicious pastry made with layers of eggplant, two types of cheese, fresh basil, and sundried tomatoes. Baked in a store-bought puff pastry crust, this eggplant tart is very easy to put it all together and serve.
What is an Italian Savory Eggplant Tart?
Our Italian Savory Eggplant Tart is a cross between a savory galette and a French tart. Only this is more similar to a “galette” which is made with a pastry crust roughly folded in to create a gorgeous, rustic-looking bake. It makes a perfect appetizer, side, or main dish. It’s also a great way to use up some of your summer eggplants.
This eggplant tart is baked in a rectangular baking dish, and it’s filled with delicious ingredients. It is amazing!
Since I haven’t made a savory tart in a while, I wanted to make this one using my eggplant. The closest thing I’ve made to this eggplant savory tart was our Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Quiche, and Asparagus Gruyere Swiss Tart. These are also great recipes, be sure to check them out!
WATCH VIDEO: How to make Italian Savory Eggplant Tart? (1- minute!)
A Few Good Tips:
- A simple way to make this Italian savory eggplant tart is to use one puff pastry sheet and roll out the pastry, only enough to make it at least 2 inches longer and wider.
- Then place it into a rectangular baking dish, layer the fillings, top with cheese, and fold it around the edges before popping it in the oven.
- A few simple ingredients are required: eggplants, sundried tomatoes, 2 kinds of cheeses, and of course, a package of frozen puff pastry sheets. I found this recipe on Gallo Zafferano and realized I had all the ingredients.
- Keep in mind, that you will only need 1 puff pastry sheet (reserve the other sheet for another recipe).
Italians have a surprising way of making delicious dishes using the simplest ingredients on hand. I knew this was going to be easy to make – and I was right! 🙂
Everyone who tried this eggplant tart absolutely loved it- hands down!
Best part? …only 135 calories per serving! 🙂
How to Make this Italian Savory Eggplant Tart?
With this recipe, you will only need to use one sheet from a package of Puff Pastry Sheets. Also, if you prefer, you can make your own pastry dough, or use any store-bought pastry. Either one will work very well.
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (230g) – thawed
- 1 eggplant (400g), or two small ones
- grated parmesan cheese (100g)
- sliced mozzarella cheese (340g)
- sundried tomatoes (100g) – in olive oil
- *fresh basil leaves (50g)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 8 x 12 baking dish
*Quick, IMPORTANT NOTE!
- I’ve made this eggplant tart twice. The second time to film it and actually forgot to show the “fresh basil” in my photos and in the steps (and I apologize). So don’t leave it out! Fresh basil will make a huge difference in the flavor.
Let’s make it…
For this simple, straightforward directions to make this delicious tart:
Step 1: Easy Directions To Prep:
1. First, brush with olive oil on the bottom and sides of your 8 x 12 baking Pyrex dish. Set aside.
2. Use a vegetable mandolin slicer to thinly slice the eggplant, about 1/4 -inch thick. Or you can use a knife as well. But the thinner you make the slices – the better.
3. Then, if you need to chop up the sundried tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set them aside.
Step 2: Prepare the Pastry Crust and Assemble the Eggplant Tart:
1. PREHEAT your oven to 350 degrees F (180C).
2. Next, on a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the puff pastry sheet to expand it, at least 2 inches in length and width.
3. Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Stretch the pastry sheet if you need to, in order to fit the baking dish. Take a fork, and prick the bottom and sides of the pastry sheet.
4. First Layer of Eggplant: Lay the first layer of eggplant slices, on the bottom of the pastry, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper. Scatter with 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, then with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and about 5 fresh basil leaves, sliced.
5. NEXT: layer the slices of mozzarella on top. Here is where you can use shredded mozzarella if you cannot find slices.
6. Second Layer of Eggplant: Repeat and place the second layer of eggplant slices on top. Scatter with chopped sundried tomatoes along with any remaining oil from the dried tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Finally, cover with a layer of sliced mozzarella on top.
7. Roughly, fold over the ends of the pastry dough around the baking dish.
8. BAKE for 38 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges. Remove from oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes before cutting. Cut into 6, 8, or 9 equal squares and serve. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Questions & Answers:
1. How To Shop for Eggplants? When buying eggplants at your local farmer’s market or supermarket, you should always consider these 3 things:
- Be sure their skins are shiny and have no visible bruises or indents. Lightly press in the center with one finger. It should bounce back, if not, it means the eggplant is too old and you should pass on it.
- The “weight” of eggplant should be on the lighter side when you pick it up. Pick up each one at a time, and find the ones that feel lighter in weight. The lighter it is – the better the eggplant.
- If eggplant seems to be too heavy and dense in weight, it means it is loaded with “seeds” – and that you’ll want to avoid. Those seeds are bitter and will ruin the flavor of any dish.
2. Do We Need To Peel the Skins of the Eggplant? For this recipe, it is not necessary to peel off the skin. Just cut off their tops and give them a good rinse. If you prefer to peel off the skin, you may do so. It is your preference.
3. Do We Need to Soak the Eggplant in Water, or Milk? We get this question all the time, and the answer is no. We do not need to soak the eggplant, whatsoever.
4. Should We Sprinkle Salt Over Them and Squeeze Out Excess Liquid? No, you do not need to do all these extra steps when baking or roasting eggplants.
5. How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze Eggplant Tart?
- Best Stored: Always keep leftover tarts in a sealed container and kept chilled. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: You can microwave each piece, or pop it into a convection toaster oven to reheat for a few minutes.
- To Freeze: Store in a sealed container and freeze. Best to freeze for up to 2 weeks. Then allow the tart to thaw on the counter, and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
More Eggplant Recipes You’ll Love!
- Easy Stuffed Mini Eggplants
- Roasted Eggplant “Meatballs”
- Homemade Lasagna with Eggplant and Spinach
- Individual Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana
- Best Eggplant Manicotti Casserole
- Roasted Eggplant Parmesan – Lightened!
If you try this Italian Savory Eggplant Tart, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating! We’d love to hear from you. For more delicious recipes, follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Italian Savory Eggplant Tart
Italian Savory Eggplant Tart is a delicious pastry made with layers of eggplant, two types of cheese, fresh basil, and sundried tomatoes. Baked in a store-bought pastry crust makes it super easy and positively delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet (230g)
- 1 eggplant (400g) - thinly sliced (about 1/4-inch thin)
- 1/2 cup (100g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (100g) sundried tomatoes in oil
- 1/4 cup (50g) fresh basil leaves - sliced
- 1 (12-ounce) package (340g) of sliced mozzarella cheese - about 12 thin slices
- 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Prepare an 8 x 12-inch baking dish, and brush olive oil on the bottom and up the sides. Then set it aside.
- Use a vegetable mandolin to thinly slice the eggplant, about 1/4 -inch thick. Or you can use a knife as well.
- Then, chop up the sundried tomatoes into smaller pieces. Slice fresh basil leaves. Set them aside.
PREPARE the Pastry:
- On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the puff pastry sheet to expand it, at least 2 inches in length and width.
- Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Stretch the pastry sheet if you need to, to fit the baking dish. Take a fork and randomly, prick the bottom and sides of the pastry sheet.
LAYER THE FILLING:
- First Layer: Lay the first layer of eggplant slices, on the bottom of the pastry, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper. Scatter with 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, then with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil leaves.
- Then layer on top, with slices of mozzarella. Here is where you can use shredded mozzarella if you cannot find pre-sliced mozzarella.
- Second Layer: Repeat with the second layer of eggplant slices on top. Scatter with chopped dried tomatoes along with any remaining oil, grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Finally, cover with a layer of sliced mozzarella on top.
- Roughly, fold over the ends of the pastry dough around the baking dish.
- BAKE (on the center rack of the oven), for 38 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes before cutting. Cut into 6, or 9 equal squares and serve.
- Serves 6 to 9
Notes
See our Video and Step-by-Step Photos in the post.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9 servingsServing Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 7.7gSaturated Fat: 4.2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 6.1gFiber: 2.2gSugar: 2.7gProtein: 11.7g
Happy Baking! 🙂
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This is an excellent recipe, a great tart. A couple changes – we don’t use sliced mozzarella where I live, fresh is so inexpensive that there’s no point. Slices of the fresh mozzarella made the top very creamy. And the other change was unexpected – there was no fresh basil in the market on the day I made this. The day before I had made fresh pesto, I just dotted the eggplant with that. The garlic in the pesto added some spark and I will probably just do it this way rather than with fresh basil.
Wow, what a great idea to use fresh mozzarella! I love it! So glad you adapted our recipe to the ingredients you had available – and it all worked perfectly! We love pesto sauce, so yes to that idea! I will be making a new one soon! Thanks Spike for leaving such a lovely comment. We very much appreciated! Have a great week. 🙂
I followed this recipe, but I added a small summer squash sliced thin. I also added some ground beef with onions. it was amazing…
Hi Debra! So happy you enjoyed our recipe, and welcome to our blog! It is so nice to meet you. Love your additions 😉 sounds delicious! Thanks so much!