Cute puff pastry tarts topped with melted cheese and thin slices of rosemary potatoes crisped up in the oven. These cheesy rosemary potato tarts are a perfect appetizer for any meal of holiday feast or just as a snack for your next Aperitivo.
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It might be the influence of Italian Aperitivo, but I think that starting a meal with small appetizers is one of the best ways to stimulate the appetite and enjoy the meal even more. Especially if paired with a glass of Prosecco.
In Italy, we love making puff pastry snacks in all shapes and flavors. They're usually bite-sized and we call them Stuzzichini (it doesn't have a literal translation, but it roughly means "small appetizers"). Other common names are Salatini ("little salty bites") or Rustici (literally "rustic").
Puff Pastry snacks are more commonly served at birthday parties or dinner parties served on a large tray where everyone can pick and choose what they want (sometimes without really knowing what they're eating if the filling is not really obvious, which makes it also a fun surprise).
If I have puff pastry available sometimes I make random snacks to eat for Aperitivo or before our dinner, even if it's just the two of us. I just love Stuzzichini!
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Ingredients
- Puff Pastry: You can use either fresh or frozen puff pastry. Just make sure it's cold and thawed before you use it.
- Potatoes: Use small flavorful potatoes. See below for more details.
- Rosemary: Fresh or dried rosemary will work well with this recipe.
- Cheese: Ore a mix of grated cheese or a slice of your favorite cheese. Use cheeses that melt well, like cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, or provolone.
Which potatoes are best for this recipe?
Potatoes are the main ingredient of these tarts, aside from puff pastry, so it's important they have a good flavor. My favorites are the red French fingerling potatoes but you can use any potato you can find or like. These are some guidelines to follow to choose the best potatoes for these potato tarts:
- Use waxy potatoes and not starchy ones. The waxy potatoes are perfect for oven roasting because they retain their shape and become crispy while starchy potatoes will crumble.
- Use small potatoes. For this recipe, you have to cut thin slices so it's best to use small potatoes so you get small round slices.
- Use fresh potatoes. Since we're keeping the skin on the potatoes, it's best to use new potatoes. If the potatoes are older and have sprouted, the skin should be peeled off.
Variations
Creating variations on potato rosemary puff pastry tarts can introduce new flavors and textures while keeping the essence of the original dish. Here's a list of variations to explore:
- Sweet Potato & Sage Puff Pastry Tarts: Substitute sweet potatoes for the regular potatoes and sage for rosemary, adding a sweet and aromatic twist.
- Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Potato Tarts: Add caramelized onions and crumbled goat cheese atop the potato slices, infusing a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Spicy Chorizo Potato Tarts: Top the potato slices with cooked chorizo and a sprinkle of smoked paprika before baking for a spicy kick.
- Garlic Mushroom & Potato Tarts: Sauté mushrooms and garlic to place on top of the potatoes, adding earthy and umami notes.
- Butternut Squash & Thyme Potato Tarts: Use thin slices of butternut squash along with the potatoes, and thyme instead of rosemary for a fall-inspired variation.
- Blue Cheese & Walnut: Before baking, add crumbles of blue cheese and chopped walnuts for a tart that's rich and textured.
- Pesto and Mozzarella Potato Tarts: Spread a thin layer of pesto on the puff pastry, then add potato slices and top with mozzarella cheese for an Italian twist.
- Bacon & Cheddar Potato Tarts: Arrange cooked bacon pieces over the potato slices and sprinkle with cheddar cheese for a savory, hearty option.
- Roasted Pepper & Feta Potato Tarts: Top the potato layers with roasted red peppers and crumbled feta, adding a colorful and tangy element.
Instructions
- Clean the potatoes, then cut them into very thin slices and add them to a bowl. Wash the slices to remove the excess starch, then pat them dry with a towel or with paper towels.
- Season them with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and a teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary. Set aside.
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into squares or rectangles. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add a tablespoon of cheese on top of each puff pastry square. Cover with potato slices and a piece of rosemary.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
Can you make this recipe in advance?
If you're prepping for a big feast like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even for a birthday party, you might want to prepare as much as possible in advance.
The longest part of this potato tarts recipe is actually prepping the potatoes and thankfully that's the part that you can make in advance!
Clean and slice the potatoes and add them to a bowl. Season with olive oil, salt, rosemary, and cover well with plastic wrap. You can keep them in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Make the tarts only at the last minute, otherwise, the puff pastry will dry out and it will not puff during the baking.
Related Recipes you might like
If you like this recipes, try also these other snacks:
- Taralli - Italian Aperitivo snack
- Puff Pastry Mini Pizza
- Cumin Spelt Saltine Crackers
- Goat cheese and Mushroom Pinwheels
- Puff Pastry Pesto Trees
If you tried this recipe, please take a moment to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me! ★★★★★
📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
- Clean the potatoes, then cut them into very thin slices with a mandoline slicer and add them in a bowl. Wash the slices to remove the excess starch, then pat them dry with a towel or with paper towels.
- Add them again in a dry bowl and season with olive oil salt, black pepper, and a teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary. Set aside.
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into squares or rectangles of your preferred size. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add a tablespoon of cheese on top of each puff pastry square and spread it a little bit. Cover with potato slices and a piece of rosemary.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Notes
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