Onion Thyme Tart

Fall is HERE, and I have the wool sweaters to prove it. Makes me crave fall-food - anything cozy and warm, like this quick and simple Onion Thyme Tart from Urban Pantry as published in Leite's Culinaria. Puff pastry is a delicate, flaky pastry made by folding layers of butter between layers of dough. Puff is an excellent staple to keep in your frozen pantry, as it can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. I made it once (a very laborious process!), then decided that I’d rather save time and buy it from the freezer section of my local grocer. I consider it my lazy food: it’s quick-baking, takes little effort to embellish, and is a great shortcut for serving a crowd. I serve this Onion Thyme Tart recipe as a complement to soup or salad or for an easy pre-dinner nibble.–Amy Pennington

from Leite's Culinaria Pretty as a Picture: We have a thing for simplicity. At least when it takes the shape of this stunning, conversation-stopping tart strewn with sweetly burnished onions and traces of fresh thyme. That’s not to say you can’t embellish this five-ingredient phenomenon from Amy Pennington, whether with a crumbling of feta or goat or blue cheese, a splash of balsamic, maybe even…well, we’ll let you fill in the blank. Although speaking of perfection, why is it that the photos we snap of our dinner or other random moments of the day never turn out as lovely as the one above, taken by the talented Della Chen?

Hands-on time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Onion Thyme Tart Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whopping big yellow onions, cut into thin half moons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted but kept cool (Editor’s Note: Splurge on the all-butter puff pastry from Dufour. Pepperidge Farm has too many ingredients–none of them butter–for us to feel good about.)

Directions

• 1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir continuously until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt and continue stirring until the onions release their moisture and the pan becomes more and more dry. When this happens, add half of the thyme and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and golden, 30 to 40 minutes or so. (If the onions start to brown, reduce the heat as low as your stove goes.) Remove from the heat and set aside
• 2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176° C). Adjust the oven rack to the center position.
• 3. Unfold the sheet of defrosted puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You may wish to run a rolling pin over it a couple times just to even the dough. Scatter the top evenly with the onions.
• 4. Bake the tart for 25 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Remove it from the oven, sprinkle the remaining thyme over the top, and let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing into small squares for serving. (Any leftover tart can be kept at room temperature, lightly covered with parchment. Best to crisp it in an oven or toaster oven prior to nibbling.)