Air Fryer Recipe
Tomato Basil Tartelettes
A delightful and easy-to-make tomato basil tartelettes recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 1 pack of ready-made puff pastry
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 100g mozzarella cheese, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, beaten (for an egg wash)
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C.
- Roll out the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut into circles to fit tartlet tins.
- Line each tartlet tin with the puff pastry.
- Place a slice of mozzarella cheese at the base of each pastry case, followed by cherry tomato halves and a basil leaf.
- Drizzle olive oil over the filling, season with salt and pepper, and brush pastry edges with beaten egg.
- Place tarts in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Why this works in an air fryer
Puff pastry rises when its butter layers flash into steam; the air fryer’s fast convection dries the exposed edges before tomato juices can soak them. Putting mozzarella underneath acts as a fat-rich barrier, while halved cherry tomatoes expose less wet flesh than chopped tomatoes, helping the base crisp rather than stew.
Equipment notes
Assumes 4–6 tartlette tins of about 8–10cm fitting in a 5–6L basket with space around each tin; in a single-drawer fryer cook in one layer and swap front/back positions halfway, while dual-zone drawers usually have tighter airflow so use smaller batches and expect 1–3 minutes extra.
Common pitfalls
- Soggy, compressed base after 12 minutes? The tomatoes or mozzarella have released too much water; pat the cheese dry, place tomatoes cut-side up, and prick only the centre of the pastry, not the raised edge.
- Pastry edges dark but the underside looks waxy and pale? The tins are shielding the base; cook 2 minutes longer out of the tin if the tartlette is firm enough, or use thinner metal tins rather than ceramic next time.
- Mozzarella bubbling over the sides? The slice is too thick or too close to the rim; use a smaller piece in the centre and leave a clear pastry border so melted fat does not glue the layers down.
- Basil turns black and papery before the pastry is cooked? Direct convection is scorching it; tuck it under a tomato half or add fresh basil after cooking for a cleaner flavour.
Variations & substitutions
- Use goat’s cheese or feta instead of mozzarella; both are saltier and drier, so the filling browns faster and usually needs the lower end of the 10–12 minute window.
- Swap cherry tomatoes for sliced plum tomatoes; salt and drain them for 10 minutes first or the extra surface moisture will soften the pastry base.
- Add a thin smear of pesto under the cheese; keep it very thin because the oil accelerates browning on the pastry floor.
- Use ready-made shortcrust pastry instead of puff; it will not rise in layers, so aim for a firm, biscuit-like shell and expect 1–2 minutes longer cooking.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked tartelettes covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–5 minutes until the pastry re-crisps.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
