This Herbed Tomato Galette with Parmesan Crust is a delicious use of summer tomatoes and herbs. A buttery, flaky pie crust is flavored with fresh Parmesan cheese then filled with sweet tomatoes, gruyere cheese, basil and rosemary for a vegetarian free-form, rustic and delicious freeform tart.

Herbed tomato galette using red and yellow tomatoes garnished with fresh herbs

What is a galette?

A galette is the French name for a freeform tart. The crust is rolled out and instead of being molded into a tart shell like a tomato tart or a tomato pie, the sides are slightly folded over the filling the make a crust, looking a little like a pizza.

Herbed tomato galette viewed from above
What dough is used for galette?

A simple pie crust/shortcrust pastry is used for galette. For this recipe, the dough is flavored with a little lemon and Parmesan cheese.

Best Pan for Galette

Any pan that is wide enough. A cookie/sheet pan (sheet tray) a round, shallow cast iron is what I use. It helps with the round shape, but any shallow pan will work.

This easy tomato galette is the perfect meatless meal that can be eaten warm at home or taken with you for a quick work lunch. This dish is both cooked and served in a cast iron skillet to give it an authentic look and the colors are perfect for the changing seasons where summer gives way to fall.

Colorful tomatoes

I used a selection of different tomatoes from small heirlooms to dark Kumato and medium vine tomatoes. I love the mix of colors and sizes, which gives the galette a lovely, rustic look. You can really use any tomatoes that look good to at the farmers market or store.

This Herbed Tomato Galette with Parmesan Crust gets a lot of flavor from fresh herbs and you know I love to cook with herbs. They are the best way to get a lot of flavor into any dish.

Best cheese for galette

Gruyère cheese, which has so much flavor and happens to be my favorite, makes for a great melted cheesy, nutty, salty bed for the tomatoes. The crust is light and buttery with a hint of lemon zest and fresh Parmesan cheese which gives the crust great flavor dimension.

If you can’t find gruyére, a sharp cheddar is just as delicious but please make sure you use Parmesan cheese is the crust. It is so good!

Yield: 6

Herbed Tomato Galette with Parmesan Crust

Herbed tomato galette served in a cast iron skillet

A buttery, flaky crust is flavored with fresh Parmesan cheese then filled with sweet tomatoes, gruyere cheese, basil and rosemary.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the pastry
  • 1 1/2 cups (194 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out pastry
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (50 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) cold water
  • For the filling
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) gruyere cheese, grated
  • 12 ounces ripe (340 grams) tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Instructions

  1. To make the pastry in a food processor: Add the flour, butter, salt and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, about 5 to 10 seconds. Add the lemon zest. With the processor running, pour the water slowly through the tube in a steady stream until the dough forms a ball. You may not use all the water.
  2. To make the pastry by hand: Add the flour, butter and salt to a large bowl.. Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) rub the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the Parmesan cheese. Drizzle in the water and mix using a fork until the it starts to come together and holds together when pressed in your hand. You may not need all of the water.
  3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
  4. To make the pastry without a food processor, add the flour, butter, salt and Parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the lemon zest. Use a fork while drizzling in the water. When the dough starts to come together, use your hands to form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
  5. Dust a clean work surface with flour.
  6. Preheat oven to 400° F/200°C.
  7. Roll the pastry onto a floured surface into a 12 inch circle. Transfer the pastry to a 10 inch round baking pan or low sided cast iron skillet.
  8. Cover the pastry evenly with the gruyere cheese leaving a 1 inch border all around. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese, also leaving a 1 inch border.
  9. Combine the basil, rosemary and pepper in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the tomatoes with the olive oil then sprinkle the herb mixture over the tomatoes.
  10. Fold the border of the pastry in to cover the edge of the tomatoes all around. Brush the pastry edges with the egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the dough is golden.
  11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 333Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 67mgSodium 423mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 11g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

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