These colourful Roasted Vegetable Tartlets have crisp flaky filo pastry cases and are filled with roasted vegetables, which can be served as they are or with the addition of goat's cheese or a dollop of crème fraîche. And however you serve them, they are quite simply delicious!
A selection of Roasted Vegetables
I think these simple to make vegetable tarts look really pretty especially on a buffet table. Made with filo pastry the filling can be easily adapted. I particularly like them topped with a slice of goat's cheese.
If goat's cheese is not to your liking serve as they are or topped with a little crème fraîche.
You can also vary the vegetables you use. For this batch, I used red and yellow peppers, red onion, and courgette. I also popped a few asparagus spears in with these as English Asparagus was still available.
In the past, I have also added carrot and a bit of aubergine into the mix. It's a great way of using up what you have in the fridge.
All about Filo Pastry
Filo Pastry has to be one of my favourite pastries. You don’t need to make it from scratch, indeed you have to be a very keen baker or even slightly mad to spend the time to make it yourself.
Filo pastry is low in fat and very versatile to use. It is made from flour and water and is very popular in Central and Eastern Europe as well as throughout the Middle East.
It is now readily available fresh from the chiller and frozen from big brands as well as supermarket own brands. But I will stick my neck out here and say I often find the unknown brands (to me at least) from my local Turkish shop are the best quality and easiest to use.
Sometimes filo pastry can be very brittle and dry especially if stock turn over is slow, so if you are lucky enough to have an ethnic shop that stocks it then do give them a try. That said if you follow a few simple rules when working with filo pastry you are unlikely to run into any real trouble regardless of the make.
Tips for using Filo Pastry
- Filo pastry is very thin, remove from the packet gently and take care unfolding it.
- Cover the unfolded stack of pastry with a tea towel that has been made damp then really well rung out. This will prevent it from drying out while you work.
- Take out one sheet at a time leaving the rest covered while you work.
Butter or Oil
The flaky layers of the finished pastry are produced by brushing each single sheet of filo with oil or melted butter and stacking on top of each other. When working with Filo pastry I tend to use oil for savoury bakes like these Roasted vegetable tartlets and butter for sweet bakes.
When using butter consider clarifying the butter first. Filo is often cooked at a high temperature and sometimes the milk solids in butter that is just melted burns and gives a speckled appearance.
To clarify butter
Heat very gently so that the milk solids separate out and drop to the bottom of the pan then pour off the clear butterfat into a dish and use that.
How long will filo pastry keep?
Filo pastry can be stored in the refrigerator if well wrapped for up to 5 days. Frozen Filo will keep for 4 to 5 months.
Step by Step Roasted Vegetable Tartlets
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Roasted Vegetable Tartlets
Equipment
- muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 yellow pepper seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 small red onion peeled and cut into small wedges
- 1 carrot peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 small courgette trimmed and thickly sliced (zucchini)
- 4-6 asparagus spears trimmed and cut into short lengths
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus extra to drizzle
- 6 sheets filo pastry
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- goat's cheese (Optional)
- crème fraîche (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan)/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20 – 25 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
- Cut each sheet of filo into six 12cm (5in) squares. Lightly grease a muffin tin.
- Brush a square of filo with oil and place another on top turning slightly so that the corners do not over lap.
- Repeat until you have a stack of 6 squares.
- Push into a greased muffin tin to form a spiky tartlet case.
- Repeat until you have 6 tartlet cases. Spoon the roasted vegetables into the pastry cases and top with goats cheese if using. Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Notes
- Cover the stack of pastry with a tea towel that has been made damp then really well rung out. This will prevent them from drying out while you work.
- Take out one sheet at a time leaving the rest covered while you work.
Store
- The tartlets are best eaten warm from the oven. They will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 days. Refresh in a warm oven before serving.
- Not suitable for freezing
Alan Cohen
Just found this recipe having had something very much like these in a cafe on St Martins, Isles of Scilly. They were amazing and I went back the next day for more and now I want to make my own. The recipe seems identical although I seem to remember a balsamic type glaze under the vegetables, or maybe this was the onions caramelising - what do yo think?
Also, they finished the tart off with a sprig of rosemary and served with a very light, delicate green salad ... truly delicious.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I'm sure a little balsamic glaze with these would also be very nice. I hope you enjoy them as much as the tartlets you had in the cafe.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
What a fab idea - so quick and easy, but I bet they taste AMAZING!! Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Yes they are quick and easy and tasty pretty good too 🙂
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Such tasty looking crunchy bites! I'd love a few 🙂
Sylvie
How delicious do these little tarts look!? Love that you used filo pastry for a yummy crunchy finish... I would so jump on the ones that have goats cheese on it! #cookblogshare
Hannah
These look absolutely gorgeous - not only are they pretty, but they also sound incredibly delicious, especially with all those flaky filo layers!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
You're killing me with these goat's cheese recipes! Love the sound of this - crisp pastry with roasted veg and creamy goat's cheese?! Count me in!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thanks Cat, Yes between the two blogs I seem to have a bit of a thing about goats cheese recently 🙂
donna
I do like a goog Filo! These look fab! #CookBlogShare
Vicki Montague
Gosh these look fabulous. I just wish it was possible to buy gluten free filo pastry. Actually I haven't even perfected making it yet so these tarts are not within my reach. But I love the idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂