How to Make a Fig Tart Everyone Will Love

This fig tart has brought a taste of France into our home during this time when we are not allowed to travel due to COVID-19. It is not your average tart. First of all, it is not a dessert tart. This tarte aux figues is a savory recipe that serves as an entrée before the main course. Or, with a lightly dressed side salad the tart makes a nice light lunch or supper.

A French friend gave me the recipe and if my memory serves me, it was her mother’s recipe. Thus, the recipe is steeped in tradition. Knowing it is my favorite dish, she always cooks it when I visit.

As soon as the figs appear in the markets in France,

my thoughts turn to this tart. I adore figs fresh on their own, or stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with honey for dessert. They are also wonderful tossed in a salad with crumbled goat cheese.

Market vendors display figs in a single layer as they are a very delicate fruit. The displays I have seen are eye-catching ones. Vendors display figs on a large round platter (2 + feet in diameter), all stems pointing outward in varying gradients of color. A true work of art. Most vendors I have met quickly offer a taste their fruits so the quality is apparent.

Tarte aux Figues – fig tart

Tarte aux figues, or fig tart, is super simple to make, especially if you purchase the pastry crust at the store! I bake mine in a 9.5 inch (24 cm) quiche pan that has a loose bottom.

It makes such a pretty presentation to be able to slide the tart onto a platter instead of serving it from the dish. In the image below, the tart is cooling on a small jar. You can see how the sides of the pan easily slipped away to rest on my stove top.

Gather Your Ingredients

For this fig tart you will need

tart/quiche pan or standard pie dish

1 pastry crust ( I like this recipe from 750g. but a store bought pastry works just as well!)

120 g of goat cheese

figs, washed and sliced vertically in thirds (9 figs fit well in my pan but size of pan and size of figs will definitely change this )

pine nuts (toasted) or pistachios (chopped)

salt, pepper, herbs de Provence

olive oil

prosciutto/Parma ham or Bayonne ham

Let’s Make this Fig Tart!

Roll out your pastry dough and gently place into the tart pan. Trim off excess dough. This crust is not pre-baked.

Measure out your goat cheese and attempt to spread a little of it on a small plate. This is just a test!  As the crust is raw, it’s necessary to be able to easily spread the cheese. If it seems too stiff, add a bit of milk or cream to soften the texture. Then spread the cheese over the surface of the crust being careful not to tear the pastry dough. (Letting the cheese set at room temperature for about 30 minutes will also help it to spread more easily.)

Place your sliced figs on top of the cheese in a circular pattern. Note, you can choose to vertically quarter the figs instead of slicing them. If you do this, more than 9 figs may be needed.

Drizzle the surface lightly with olive oil then sprinkle with salt (I prefer sea salt), pepper and herbs de Provence.

Ready to bake

Bake at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes.

Just out of the oven!

If using a loose bottom pan, set the pan on a small bowl or jar to allow the rim to easily slip off. Cool to the point you can handle and slide the tart off base onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with either the toasted pine nuts or chopped pistachios.

Just a favorite Epicurean cutting board instead of a fancy serving platter.

As an entrée, I cut this into 8 servings  but if serving with a salad for a light meal, cut into 4 servings. Garnish with a twirl of Parma ham.

Fig tart with a swirl of prosciutto ham

Bon appetit! I hope the taste of this fig tart will transport your heart to France during times when you cannot travel.

P.S. If you want to visit a French market before you make your Tartes aux Figues, you will enjoy this post on my favorite market.

{Affiliate Links: This quiche pan on Amazon is the size of the one I purchased in France and this is my favorite Epicurean cutting board.}