Plum Tomato Tart

This tomato tart trades traditional buttery pastry for five delicate layers of phyllo brushed with an egg-white olive-oil wash. The result is a crust so thin and shatteringly crisp it eats more like a cracker than a tart shell, and at a fraction of the calories.

The egg white takes the place of melted butter that phyllo usually calls for. It seals and gilds the sheets together with less fat, and it still crisps beautifully under the heat. Each sheet gets a sprinkle of bread crumbs for structural insurance so the layers don’t slide apart.

Dijon mustard under the Parmesan is the flavor hack that makes this more than a thin pizza. The mustard’s tang cuts through the sweet tomato, and its thick consistency acts as a moisture barrier so the phyllo stays crisp under the watery plum tomatoes.

Plum (Roma) tomatoes are the correct choice here. Their firmer, drier flesh holds up under baking where beefsteaks would weep liquid and soak the pastry. Slice them ¼ inch thick and arrange in neat rows.

The herb oil goes on at the end, not before baking. Fresh thyme and parsley scorch and turn black in the oven; dabbing them on after baking preserves their bright green color and fresh flavor.

Chef Tips

• Keep phyllo covered with a damp towel while working. It dries out in minutes and becomes impossible to handle once it’s brittle.
• Roll the edges toward the center firmly to form the rim. A flat-edged tart looks unfinished and the tomatoes slide off.
• Blot the tomato slices briefly on paper towels before arranging. This removes surface moisture that would soggy the crust.
• Let the baked tart rest 5 minutes before slicing as directed. Hot phyllo shatters under a knife; warm phyllo cuts cleanly.

Variations

• Swap Dijon for whole-grain mustard for visible seed texture and a milder, sweeter tang.
• Add a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese or feta on top of the Parmesan for a creamier, saltier result.
• Use heirloom cherry tomatoes in mixed colors for a more visually stunning summer-garden version.