These mini Pesto Tomato Galettes are so versatile... and ridiculously addictive! This savoury tart recipe is so simple and delicious - a perfect recipe to take to work for lunch or serve as an entree.
Nothing excites me more than walking into a supermarket and finding gorgeous, interesting or unexpected fruits and veggies. Not only I love to cook and bake with fresh and seasonal ingredients, I also find them extremely inspiring!
We are very lucky in Australia to get lots of local, fresh produce. This time, I couldn't walk past this bunch of super colourful Cherry Tomatoes without adding it to my basket. Oh, and they were on special for 2$... Say whaaat!?
Obviously, you don't have to use different types of Cherry Tomatoes for these Cherry Tomato and Pesto Mini Galette to be delicious. The different colours make these Savoury Galette really pretty, but use any type of Cherry Tomato available to you!
Sometimes, I feel like trying random associations but for this recipe, I kept it simple and sticked with a classic combination: Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella. Just like for my Cheese and Tomato Quiche!
Do you love Caprese Salad? I do. Do you love savoury tarts? I do to. This recipe combines both and that couldn't make me happier!
I used Basil both in the Pesto and as a fresh topping and simply added some pieces of Fresh Mozzarella on top of the Mini Galettes once they were out of the oven.
How to make a Savory Galette
Making Galette is incredibly easy like I explained in my Strawberry and Cinnamon Galette Recipe. The beauty of Galettes is that they don't have to look perfect. Here, rustic is the look you are going for!
I made a Savory Shortbread Pastry that works great for Galette. It is a light and deliciously flaky pastry dough. I only used some Salt to make this the Galette Crust savory, but you can definitely let your imagination take over and add some spices or herbs too.
I use Cumin Seeds in my savoury tarts dough quite often like in this Onion, Fig and Feta Tart and it is one of my favourite way to flavour a dough!
Homemade Pesto Filling
I am a bit of an indoor plant freak and found that for some reason (after killing quite a few other herbs), Basil was the only herb to love my window seal. So I use my Fresh Basil as often as possible and it comes in very handy to make Homemade Pesto Sauce.
I find that pre-made Pesto from the supermarket tend to be overly salty so I prefer to make my own when I can. That being said, you can obviously use some pre-made one for this recipe if you do not have time to make your own.
I stayed close to the classic Pesto recipe and simply used Fresh Basil leaves, Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese. But there are also many other ingredients that you can use to make Pesto Sauce and you do not have to keep it 'classic'.
For example, you can add different herbs (mint works great with Pesto), use other types of nuts or include veggies like tomato to flavour your pesto.
I am always looking for new, simple yet delicious ways to make lunch. I thought that making these individual Cherry Tomato and Pesto Mini Galette would be a great option. Because they are made as individual portions, they are so easy to take to work and reheat on the spot.
And yes, I did have one everyday for lunch last week and regret nothing! I found that their size is optimal for a light lunch but that they are still very filling.
These Cherry Tomato and Pesto Mini Galette are also great as an entree and will probably make them next time we have some friends over for dinner.
Mini Pesto and Tomato Galettes Recipe:
Mini Cherry Tomato and Pesto Savory Galettes
Ingredients
Shortbread Pastry
- 1 1/2 cup (225gr) Plain Flour
- 1/3 cup (50gr) Semolina Flour
- 170 grams (6 oz) Butter - at room temperature
- 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Water
Basil Pesto
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teasp. each Salt, Pepper, Cumin Powder, Garlic Powder
Galette Filling
- 400 grams (14 oz) Cherry Tomatoes
- Dozen Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/4 cup (50gr) Fresh Mozzarella
- 1 Egg Yolk - optional
Instructions
Shortbread Pastry
- Cut the Butter at Room temperature in small cubes and place them on a deep plate. With a fork, mash them quickly to remove any hard bits.
- Place the Flour, Semolina Flour, Cornstarch and Salt in a large bowl.Add the Butter and work with your adds to create small crumbs. To do so, take a little bit of butter and flour and rub it in between your palms and fingers. After a few minutes, your dough should look like small crumbs.
- Add a little bit of water and knead the dough into a ball. Start with only a little bit of water and add more if the dough is too hard. If it turns the dough to something really sticky, add a little bit more flour.
- Cover with Cling Wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 Minutes.
Basil Pesto
- In the meantime, place all the ingredients for the Pesto in a blender and mix in small pulse to form the sauce. Set aside.
To Assemble the Mini Galettes
- Preheat your oven on 160'C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Knead the Shortbread crust for a minute to re-heat it and cut in four.Pour some flour on your kitchen bench and roll each dough into a small circle. Try to roll it as thin as possible without breaking.Place the 4 galette crusts on your lined baking tray.
- Brush some Pesto on the Galette crust.Cut the Cherry Tomatoes in half and place them over the Pesto, leaving the edges free to fold over.
Fold the edges of the Shortcrust dough over the Cherry Tomatoes to create a Galette.Optional: brush some beaten Egg Yolk over the Galette edges to create a nice coloration in the oven. - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle some hand-torn Fresh Mozzarella and Chopped Basil Leaves.
Nutrition
