This Beet Crostata is a beautiful rustic tart that combines sweet roasted beets with gruyere cheese, fresh herbs, and a buttery, flaky pastry crust. Simple enough for a weekend lunch yet elegant enough for entertaining, this savory crostata is bursting with earthy flavor and vibrant color. Serve it warm or at room temperature as an appetizer, light dinner, or brunch centerpiece.
Do you love a rustic tart like this one? Then try our Crabapple Strawberry Tart or our Puff Pastry Tart with Eggs.
A crostata is an Italian rustic tart made by folding pastry dough around a sweet or savory filling. Unlike a traditional pie, a crostata has free-form edges that create a charming homemade look. Savory versions often feature vegetables, cheeses, and herbs, making them ideal for brunches, lunches, or elegant appetizers.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Beautiful presentation with vibrant roasted beets
- Perfect as an appetizer, brunch, or light meal
- Easy to customize with your favorite cheeses and herbs
- Great way to enjoy fresh garden beets
- Delicious served warm or at room temperature
HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE
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200 Pcs Parchment Paper Baking Sheets, 12×16 Inches Non-Stick Precut Baking Parchment
Stainless Steel Baking Sheet Pan Set of 2
Paring Knife 3.75 Inch, Japanese High Carbon Stainless Steel Fruit Knife, Ultra Sharp
What is a Beet Crostata Made of?
Ingredients
Beets – You can use any beet you prefer. Red beets have a stronger, more earthy flavor than golden beets. We particularly love the sweet Chioggia beets, which are the most visually stunning! Red beets are the easiest to peel.
Pie Crust – We opted for a refrigerated pie crust (which I love) for convenience, but feel free to use your homemade pie crust instead. You will only need a single pie crust.
Gruyère Cheese – The Gruyère cheese creates a barrier between the beets and the bottom crust, helping to prevent it from becoming soggy. Swiss cheese or mozzarella can be used as alternatives. Goat cheese is another popular choice for savory crostatas.
Herbs – If you want to substitute thyme, stick with your favorite soft herbs. Woody herbs like rosemary should be very finely chopped if used. Flat-leaf parsley is also a great option.
Honey – If you prefer, you can replace honey with maple syrup or agave.
Peppercorns – We used a mix of crushed red, white, and black whole peppercorns, which adds a lovely floral note. Use coarsely ground fresh black pepper instead if you don’t have this mix.
How to Make an Italian Crostata
Beets
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Thoroughly wash the beets using a scrubber and warm water. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the clean beets on the sheet pan.
Cover the beets with aluminum foil and tuck it around the beets. Ensure the beets aren’t touching, or the colors will transfer from the dark to the light beets.
Roast the beets at 425°F until a sharp knife slides easily to the center of the beet, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
While the beets roast, crush the peppercorns in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. You can skip this step if using regular black pepper.
When fully roasted, remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them. Well-cooked beets should peel easily by cutting a slit at the bottom end of the beet and pulling the skin off. If not, peel them using your paring knife.
Slice the beets into 1/4″ slices using a mandoline or sharp knife. If using a mandoline, use the safety guard, as peeled beets are slippery and you can get hurt. Lightly season the beets with Kosher salt.
Crostata
Unroll the pie crust and tear a clean sheet of parchment paper the same size as the crust (approximately). Lightly press the crust to even out the rolled edges. Place the pie crust on the parchment paper onto the sheet pan. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F.
Lightly press an 8.5-inch salad plate into the crust dead center. The indentation will help you stay in the middle. Or, you can eyeball it. Place the grated Gruyere cheese inside the circle.
Lay an outer ring of beet slices on the outside edge of the cheese. The number of slices you need will determine how many you’ll use. The beet slices should be shingled.
Next, fill the circle’s center with more shingled beet slices.
Continue shingling the beets until you reach the top. Your stack should be about two and a half inches high.
Fold the crust over the beets, creating pleats as you go along. Pinch the pleats to keep them together. Your crostata might not be perfectly round, but that’s okay; it is meant to be rustic.
Tear the leaves from a couple of thyme sprigs and sprinkle on the beets. Sprinkle on the crushed peppercorns or black pepper to taste. You can add more at the table. Before baking, the crust can be brushed with an egg wash (one lightly beaten egg plus a teaspoon of water). This makes the crust browner and has a lovely sheen. It is an optional step.
Baking
Place the crostata in the preheated 350°F oven. Roast until the crust is golden brown and the beets have softened even more. You should hear the sizzling. This takes about 45 minutes to an hour. If at any time the crust begins to brown too quickly, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the crostata.
Remove the sheet pan and allow the crostata to cool slightly. Drizzle honey over the beets before serving or on the cut slices. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt or kosher salt. You can serve the crostata directly from the sheet pan or use a large spatula to move it onto a serving plate.
It is best if eaten warm to get the full flavor of the Gruyere cheese before it firms up. Garnish with parsley, thyme, or microgreens.
Recipe Pro Tips
Pro Tips
1. Roasting Beets: Ensure that the beets are fully roasted. A sharp knife should slide easily into the center of each beet. Larger beets will take longer to cook, so remove the smaller ones once they’re done and continue roasting the larger ones.
2. Handling Stains: Beets can stain your hands and fingernails. If this is a concern, it’s advisable to wear gloves while peeling and slicing them.
3. Homemade Crust: If you make a homemade crust, roll the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12 inches.
4. Storing the Pie Crust: Keep the pie crust in the refrigerator until just before you need it. If the crust warms up too much, it may stretch and tear while you fold it over the beets. Conversely, it may crack if it is too cold as you try to make the pleats. The ideal condition is for the crust to be cool and pliable.
5. Salting the Beets: If you choose not to use a sprinkle of flaky sea salt at the end, be sure to season the beets with kosher salt to taste before baking.
Storage: This dish is best served immediately, but if you have leftovers, store them for only a day or two before reheating and eating. Freezing is not recommended.
DO YOU LOVE BEETS AND WANT MORE?
Beets, either you love them or hate them, but I grew up on them and love them if they are cooked nicely. We have some great recipes for you to try!!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Beet Crostata Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 small to medium beets about a pound and a half
- Single pie crust refrigerated or hand-made
- 3 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
- Crushed peppercorn medley or freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Flaky sea salt
- Microgreens or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the beets using a scrubber and warm water. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the clean beets on the sheet pan.
- Cover the beets with aluminum foil and tuck it around the beets. Ensure the beets aren’t touching, or the colors will transfer from the dark to the light beets.
- Roast the beets at 425°F until a sharp knife slides easily to the center of the beet, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- While the beets roast, crush the peppercorns in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. You can skip this step if using regular black pepper.
- When fully roasted, remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool.
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them. Well-cooked beets should peel easily by cutting a slit at the bottom end of the beet and pulling the skin off. If not, peel them using your paring knife.
- Slice the beets into 1/4" slices using a mandoline or sharp knife. If using a mandoline, use the safety guard, as peeled beets are slippery and you can get hurt. Lightly season the beets with Kosher salt.
- Unroll the pie crust and tear a clean sheet of parchment paper the same size as the crust (approximately). Lightly press the crust to even out the rolled edges. Place the pie crust on the parchment paper onto the sheet pan. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Lightly press an 8.5-inch salad plate into the crust dead center. The indentation will help you stay in the middle. Or, you can eyeball it. Place the grated Gruyere cheese inside the circle.
- Lay an outer ring of beet slices on the outside edge of the cheese. The number of slices you need will determine how many you’ll use. The beet slices should be shingled.
- Next, fill the circle’s center with more shingled beet slices.
- Continue shingling the beets until you reach the top. Your stack should be about two and a half inches high.
- Fold the crust over the beets, creating pleats as you go along. Pinch the pleats to keep them together. Your crostata might not be perfectly round, but that's okay; it is meant to be rustic.
- Tear the leaves from a couple of thyme sprigs and sprinkle on the beets. Sprinkle on the crushed peppercorns or black pepper to taste. You can add more at the table. Before baking, the crust can be brushed with an egg wash (one lightly beaten egg plus a teaspoon of water). This makes the crust browner and has a lovely sheen. It is an optional step.
- Place the crostata in the preheated 350°F oven. Roast until the crust is golden brown and the beets have softened even more. You should hear the sizzling. This takes about 45 minutes to an hour. If at any time the crust begins to brown too quickly, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the crostata.
- Remove the sheet pan and allow the crostata to cool slightly. Drizzle honey over the beets before serving or on the cut slices. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt or kosher salt. You can serve the crostata directly from the sheet pan or use a large spatula to move it onto a serving plate.
- It is best if eaten warm to get the full flavor of the Gruyere cheese before it firms up. Garnish with parsley, thyme, or microgreens.
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