Savory Mushroom Tarts

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Freezing Time: 15 mins

Total: 70 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Yield: 4 tarts

Mushrooms are one of those ingredients that people love or hate, and I sincerely believe a lot of people who dislike them haven’t had the right kind cooked the right way. What’s not to love about wild mushrooms sautéed with butter, a ton of garlic, and fresh herbs?

So flavorful, so many textures, so savory, earthy, and umami. And when I say wild mushrooms, please make sure they are edible and not red covered with white spots, we don’t want any hallucinations happening.

Where To Find Wild Mushrooms

The most commonly available mushrooms are white button, which I agree are a little lackluster in flavor. But if you head to your local farmer’s market during the right season, they should have an array of wild mushrooms available. Otherwise your neighborhood fancy supermarket will usually have a carton of mixed wild mushrooms too.

You could also go to an Asian market and grab some of my favorites like shiitake, wood ear, shimeji, and oyster mushrooms. Another favorite of mine are chanterelles, but those are harder to find as they are not available year-round.

The Keys To Perfectly Cooked Mushrooms

The key for this recipe is to get several different looking varieties not only for a pretty Instagram picture but for more complex umami flavors. Another secret to an enjoyable mushroom experience is how you cook them. I’ve seen it over and over again where they are cooked to death and you’re left with nothing but a pan of mushroom water and a dime-sized fleshy bit.

We want the mushrooms to retain their shape and stay fleshy and meaty. For this reason I blind bake the puff pastry shells and add the mushrooms freshly sauteed on top of a bed of pillowy ricotta, which adds the perfect creamy backdrop against flaky puff pastry to allow the mushrooms to really shine. And if you’re feeling really spicy, try drizzling the tops with your favorite chili oil.

Tips for Making Wild Mushroom Tarts

Where to buy mushrooms—You’ll probably find the most mushroom varieties in an Asian market. They also come dehydrated, which will work too if you can’t find fresh. Just rehydrate them and proceed as normal. If you don’t live near an Asian market, go to your local fancy market where they should have cartons of mushroom medleys.
Ricotta pro tip—I like to hand whip my ricotta before using, just to loosen it up and make it look pretty.

Make Ahead

The mushroom filling can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. It should be brought to room temperature or warmed before placing on the tarts.

The puff pastry can be pre-cut, shaped, and stored flat in a single layer on a small sheet pan wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

«The mixed mushrooms and ricotta make a fantastic filling, but the star of this recipe is the twist-corner tart shells. I initially worried that I would have trouble making the tart shells, but I found that once I successfully crafted one, the rest were a breeze. All-in-all, a delicious mushroom tart!» —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons whole milk
Fine salt, as needed
1 sheet store-bought or homemade frozen puff pastry, thawed
All-purpose flour, as needed
12 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, shimeji, chanterelle, and trumpet
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish, optional
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Chili oil, for garnish, optional
Flaky sea salt, as needed

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Position two racks in the top and bottom parts of the oven and heat to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make an egg wash by whisking together 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons whole milk, and a pinch of fine salt in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Place 1 sheet thawed puff pastry on a floured work surface and roll and trim the dough into a 10-inch square.
Cut out four 5-inch squares.
Using a small paring knife cut slits in the dough 1/2-inch from the edge and parallel to the edge. Leave two opposing corners where you do not connect the cuts. Think of a picture frame where two opposing corners are taped together.
Brush egg wash on the borders of the “frames.”
Gently lift one of the corners where it has been cut through and fold the frame over diagonally to the edge of the inside square.
Carefully lift the other side of the frame and lay it over to the other side. You should now have a square with a higher border and twists on two corners. Place them on the prepared sheet pan.
Cut four 4-inch squares of parchment paper and fold up the edges about an inch. You want it to fit on the inner square of your pastry. Brush the border and twists with two coats of egg wash. Line the inside with the parchment squares and fill with baking weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice. Freeze the pastry shells for 13 to 15 minutes.
Blind bake the shells on the bottom oven rack until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift the parchment cups off with the weights.
Place the tray back in the oven and bake on the top rack until the dough that was under the weights is light golden and baked through, about 5 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature on the sheet pan or wire rack.
While the pastry bakes, sauté the mushrooms. Carefully clean and dry 12 ounces mixed mushrooms and roughly chop them. Cut bigger mushrooms into slices, weird shaped mushrooms into bite sized pieces, and small mushrooms you can leave whole.
In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes fragrant and the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and lower the heat to medium. Sauté, stirring constantly, until cooked through and browned but not soggy, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt to a medium bowl and hand whip until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Once the pastry shells have fully cooled, fill each pastry with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta and smooth it out using the back of a spoon. Drizzle the ricotta with a tiny bit of olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with the rest of the tarts.
Divide the mushrooms into four portions and pile them on top of the ricotta. Garnish with a sprig of thyme, a drizzle of chili oil, if desired, and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.

How To Store

Puff pastry is best eaten the day of, but you can save the tarts for a couple days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in a 300 F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Use another soft cheese—Try using goat cheese or any other fresh/farmer’s style cheese and adjust the amount according to taste.
Just add onion—You can leave out the thyme and go for chives or scallions.
Add herbs—Stir chopped herbs like savory, sage, or rosemary into the ricotta to taste.
Caramelized onion tarts—Instead of mushrooms, you can top these tarts with caramelized onions.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	281
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 11g	54%
Cholesterol 186mg	62%
Sodium 105mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 2mg	8%
Calcium 131mg	10%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 373mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.