A quiche or a savory tart is one of the most versatile dishes one can make for a brunch, light lunch, weeknight dinner, or, a potluck. Often, people are discouraged simply because making the dough, resting it, rolling it out and pre-bake it before filling it, takes time.
That is when a good quality, all-butter, store-bought frozen puff pastry can come to the rescue. This recipe for easy puff pastry tart with leeks and Gorgonzola is perfect for those days when time is short. All we need to do is roll out the chilled puff pastry, drape it over a pie plate and fill it with a delicious mixture of sweet leeks, a simple custard of eggs and cream, and your favorite cheese on top. It is that easy!
The components of a savory tart:
There are three components to any savory tart: the dough (or shell), the filling, and the custard. By using ready-made puff pastry dough we take care of probably the most time consuming step. The filling used in this recipe is sautéed leeks and onions, but any variation of leeks and spinach or Swiss chard would be great too. Leeks and Gorgonzola cheese pair well together, but Goat cheese or Feta cheese would be good alternatives. The custard is simple: just eggs and cream. You can substitute the cream with half and half, if you want.
Tart assembled and ready to bake:
How to serve the leek and gorgonzola tart
In just thirty minutes, the tart will emerge from the oven, all puffed up and golden! While it is delicious on its own, it pairs so well with a simple green salad or any seasonal salad you prefer. Pour yourself a little white wine and enjoy a delicious meal that you can be proud of and that took under an hour to make!
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17oz. package), thawed
- For the Filling
- 1 lb. fresh, young leeks, thinly sliced
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 TBSP. butter
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- — salt & pepper, to taste
- ⅔ cup Gorgonzola cheese (or an aged Blue cheese or Goat cheese)
- 2 TBSP. Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup smoked ham, cubed (optional)
- For the Custard:
- 2 large eggs, plus one egg yolk
- 8 oz. cream (heavy or light)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 tsp. flour
- Roll out the cold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 12-inch square. Transfer the puff pastry to a 9-inch-diameter glass or ceramic pie dish, lined with parchment paper. Fold the overhanging dough inward and lightly press, so that it is more or less the same thickness around the pie dish and forms a uniform edge. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling (keeping the dough very cold will help it puff up nicely and prevent it from shrinking when it bakes).
- Make the filling. Clean the leeks well under cold running water. Trim and discard about 2 inches of the green tops, thinly slice the rest, and let drain. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the leeks and the onion, season well with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks and the onions are very soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Make the custard. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, the cream, the flour, and the salt and pepper. Add the cooled leek and onion mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator, then pour the custard and filling mixture over it. Sprinkle the top with the cheese of your choice, the grated parmesan and add the ham (if using). Bake for about 30 minutes, or, until the crust is deep golden and the filling feels firm around the edges. It should look well puffed and lightly browned. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Looks like a simple, yet versatile, recipe that can be prepared with a variety of fillings! Nice pictures, too!
Thank you so much! Yes, any kind of filling that would be suitable for a quiche can go into this puff pastry tart too!
This turned out great! I chose not to include the ham, but included some sautéed mushrooms. Thank you for another delicious recipe ?
That’s wonderful, thank you so much for trying the recipe! So glad to know that it turned out great!