Pesto Tarte Soleil (Pesto Puff Pastry Sun)
A show-stopping centrepiece that’s surprisingly easy: puff pastry shaped into a radiant sun, filled with vibrant basil pesto, nutty Comté cheese and a whole round of Brie or Camembert.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 sheets of puff pastry or one large block
- 140 g fresh pesto
- 150 g Comté grated
- 1 small round of Brie or Camembert
- 1 egg beaten (for egg wash)
- Flakey salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Roll out the pastry sheets so they are a little wider on all edges. Then lay a large plate on the pastry and use it as a guide to cut out two large circles of puff pastry. Lay one round on the prepared baking tray.
- Place the Brie or Camembert in the centre (still whole, with its rind on). Smooth the pesto evenly over the pastry, around the edge of the brie, then top with the grated Comté.
- Lay the second round of puff pastry over the top. Gently press around the edges of the brie so it moulds to its shape and press the edges of the two sheets of puff pastry together to seal.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 16-20 strips; these will be the sun rays radiating out from the cheese. So you cut from the edge of the cheese to the outer edge of the pastry.
- Twist each strip two or three times to form the ‘rays’ of your tarte soleil.
- Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with salt and some black pepper.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and deep golden brown.
- Serve immediately while warm. I like to slice off the pastry from on top of the brie to reveal the molten centre. I tear off the cheesy, pesto-filled twists and dip them straight into melted cheese.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make tarte soleil with pesto.
To store: store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat: To reheat leftover slices, preheat oven to 160 °C and bake for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp the pastry. Avoid microwaving or the pastry will become soggy.
To freeze: After assembly (but before baking), freeze the tart on a tray until firm. Then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready, bake from frozen, adding around 5–8 minutes to the baking time.
Make ahead: You can assemble the tart up to 24 hours ahead. Cover loosely in cling film and keep in the fridge. Bake from chilled, allowing an extra 2-3 minutes if needed.
Cheese swaps: Comté can be replaced with Gruyère, mature cheddar, Parmesan, depending what you have. You can also skip the brie centre, if you like, and just have the twisted brie-pesto rays.
Make without the brie: you can just spread with pesto and grated cheese. Then place a small bowl or glass in the centre where the brie would be to act as a guide. Cut to the edge of the bowl, then twist. Remove the bowl and bake. You will just have a pesto cheese centre, rather than melted cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 1mg