Caramelized Onion Crostata

We tend to use a lot of onions in our house. Along with garlic, carrots, and celery, they seem to go into everything.

Victor kept looking at the onion stash, visualizing an onion tart. As soon as he mentioned it, our collective brains started working… The whiskey probably helped a little bit to get the creative juices flowing, but we ended up with a solid plan…

The following day, we put the plan into motion – and since we actually remembered what we talked about, what the plan, and how good the final dish was, shows we didn’t over-imbibe.

Caramelized Onion Crostata

  • Pie dough
  • Onions caramelized in butter, olive oil, and a drizzle of bacon fat – salt and pepper.
  • Our homemade tomato paste.
  • Boursin cheese
  • Cherry tomatoes

I used my basic pie dough, omitting the sugar. This makes enough for a double-crust pie. I used half of it for the crostata and the other half will be for a pie for Victor’s birthday on Sunday.

Pie Dough

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup pastry/cake flour
  • 2 sticks butter, frozen
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Using a food processor, add flours, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.

Chop up frozen butter and add. Pulse until butter is incorporated and mixture looks grainy.

Slowly add ice water and pulse until mixed.

Turn out onto counter. Press and form mixture into two disks . Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about an hour to allow the flour to properly absorb the water and to relax the gluten.

Roll out crust and proceed with recipe.

I rolled out the dough and spread it with a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. The caramelized onions went on top of that, then dollops of Boursin cheese. Next went sliced grape tomatoes. I folded the crust up and over and baked it in a preheated 425°F oven for 30 minutes.

I have to admit this was pretty awesome. Totally easy to do and easy to switch out things to make use of ingredients at home – change the cheese, omit the tomato paste, add any other vegetable you may have that needs using up…

Have fun!