Fresh tomato galette

There's a short window every summer when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes, and this fresh tomato galette is what I make the second that window opens.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Tomato Galette
• What You Need For A Fresh Tomato Galette
• Fresh Tomato Galette
• How To Make A Tomato Galette Step By Step
• Storage And Reheating
• Simple Variations Of The Tomato Galette
• Fresh Tomato Galette FAQ
• Recipes You May Like
• Conclusion

I picked up a paper bag of heirlooms at the Union Square farmers market last August, mostly because they smelled like my mom's back porch. I got them home, set them on the counter, and had no plan at all.

Donald walked past, poked one, and said we should probably eat these before they turn. Fair point.

So I rolled out a batch of shortcrust pastry, blitzed a quick pesto, and folded the whole thing into a rough circle. It came out of the oven crisp at the edges, soft and jammy in the middle, and Alex ate two slices standing at the counter before I could get a photo.

That's how this tomato galette became a summer thing in our apartment. It looks like something from a bakery window, but honestly? It's just pastry, pesto, and sliced tomatoes. No pie dish. No fussy edges. The wonky shape is the whole point.

If you end up with more ripe tomatoes than you know what to do with, my creamy burrata salad with fresh avocado and tomatoes is where the rest of mine usually go.

Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Course: Main Course | Cuisine: French | Servings: 6 | Calories: 384 kcal

Why You Will Like This Tomato Galette

• One pastry, no pie dish. You roll it on parchment and bake it on a flat tray. That's it.
• It uses up a pile of tomatoes. Six to eight big ones disappear into one galette.
• The pesto does the heavy lifting. Basil, parmesan, pine nuts, and thyme go in the blender for about a minute.
• You can make the pastry ahead. Mine sits in the fridge overnight all the time.
• It works warm or at room temperature. Great for a slow Sunday lunch or a weeknight dinner with a green salad.
• Kids eat it. Sarah calls it pizza pie, and I have stopped correcting her.

What You Need For A Fresh Tomato Galette

For the shortcrust pastry

• 115 g (½ cup) cold butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 230 g (2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the pesto filling

• 40 g (1 cup packed) fresh basil leaves
• 50 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 25 g (about 3 tablespoons) pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

The topping

• 6 to 8 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash

A few notes from my kitchen. Cold butter matters more than anything else here, so I cut mine and pop it back in the fridge while I measure the flour.

No pine nuts? Walnuts work and cost about half as much. Any hard Italian cheese stands in for the parmesan, and if the basil at your store looks sad, add a handful of baby spinach to bulk it out.

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How To Make A Tomato Galette Step By Step

Make The Shortcrust Pastry

Sift the flour and salt into a big mixing bowl, then drop in the butter cubes.

Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, lifting your hands high so everything stays cool. Keep going until it looks like coarse sand with no big lumps left.

Mix the egg yolk with the cold water. Pour in about half, swirling it through with one hand.

Add the rest one tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls into a ball and the bowl comes clean. Wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll And Chill The Base

Roll the pastry into a rough circle about 12 inches across, right on a sheet of parchment paper. Mine is never a real circle and it has never mattered.

Slide the parchment onto a baking tray, cover it, and put it back in the fridge until you're ready to fill it.

Salt The Tomatoes

Slice the tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. Lay them on a tray lined with paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and leave them for 20 minutes.

Pat the tops dry. This step is the difference between a crisp base and a sad one, and I learned that the hard way the first time I skipped it.

Blend The Pesto

Put the basil, parmesan, pine nuts, thyme, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until it looks like a thick spread, not a runny sauce.

Taste it. Add salt and pepper. It should be a little punchy, because the tomatoes mellow it out.

Assemble The Tomato Galette

Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Spread the pesto over the pastry, leaving a 2 inch border all the way around. Layer the tomato slices on top, overlapping them like roof tiles.

Fold the border up and over the edges, pleating as you go. Brush the pastry with beaten egg.

Bake And Rest

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the tomatoes look slightly shrunken at the edges.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing. I know that's hard. The juices need a minute to settle, and it slices much more cleanly.

Storage And Reheating

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days. I wrap slices loosely in foil rather than sealing them in plastic, because trapped steam softens the pastry.

Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or in the air fryer for 5. The microwave works but the crust goes soft, so I only do that when Alex is in a rush.

You can freeze baked slices for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Honestly, day two tastes better to me. The thyme and basil settle into the tomatoes overnight.

Simple Variations Of The Tomato Galette

Want to make this your own? Here's what we've tried in my kitchen.

• Add cheese under the tomatoes. A thin layer of ricotta or goat cheese over the pesto keeps the base even drier.
• Swap the herbs. Dried oregano instead of thyme leans Italian. A little chili flake wakes the whole thing up.
• Use cherry tomatoes. Halve them and skip the salting step. They hold their shape and look lovely.
• Go smaller. Divide the pastry into 6 rounds and make hand sized galettes for lunchboxes.
• Finish with something green. Torn basil or a drizzle of olive oil right before serving.

One thing to watch: don't overload it. I tried three layers of tomatoes once because more seemed better. It steamed, the middle stayed pale, and Donald politely called it a tomato soup situation.

Fresh Tomato Galette FAQ

What Is The Best Type Of Tomato To Use For A Fresh Tomato Galette?

Firm, meaty tomatoes work best. Roma, plum, and beefsteak all hold their shape and carry less water than the very juicy heirlooms.

I still use heirlooms when they're in season because the taste is worth it. I just salt them a little longer, closer to 30 minutes.

How Do You Prevent A Tomato Galette From Becoming Soggy?

Three things fix this. Salt and drain the slices first, keep the pesto thick, and bake on a hot tray in the lower third of the oven.

If your tomatoes are especially watery, scatter a spoonful of fine breadcrumbs or semolina over the pastry before the pesto goes on. It soaks up the extra liquid quietly.

Can You Prepare A Tomato Galette Ahead Of Time?

Yes, and I usually do. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead, or frozen for a month. The pesto keeps for 3 days in a jar with a thin film of olive oil on top.

I don't assemble it more than an hour before baking though. The tomatoes start releasing juice into the base and the crust suffers.

What Should You Serve With A Fresh Tomato Galette?

We eat it with a sharp green salad and a bowl of olives, and that's dinner. A cold roast chicken on the side stretches it further when we have friends over.

For lunch, I cut small wedges and serve them with soup. It also travels well to picnics in Central Park, which is how it usually ends up leaving our apartment.

Recipes You May Like

• Tomato bruschetta recipe uses the same ripe summer tomatoes and takes about ten minutes.
• Easy sausage quiche is my other pastry and eggs dinner when the fridge looks empty.
• Balsamic grilled portobello mushrooms makes a really good side next to a slice of this galette.

Conclusion

So that's it. Cold butter, a quick pesto, salted tomato slices, and one fold around the edge.

This fresh tomato galette is the recipe I hand to friends who tell me they can't make pastry, because the rough edges are supposed to look rough. There's nothing to get wrong.

I love it because it turns a bag of good tomatoes into something my whole family sits down for. Alex asks for it, Sarah calls it pizza pie, and Donald takes the last slice cold from the fridge every single time.

Give it a try while the tomatoes are still good, and save it to Pinterest so you can find it again next summer. Let me know how it turns out for you!