Double Take: Pink Parsley's Vidalia Onion Tart

A slice of sweet onion deliciousness!

I love onions. I love them in the morning and in the afternoon. I love them in the evening and underneath the moon. But enough about me, you came here to hear about a sweet onion tart. Mhmmm, onions. Oh wait, there I go again. Back to the tart!

This tart will have you singing if you love onions (as I proved above). Feel free to play with the cheeses and the crust. Or maybe even add some herbs and cheese to the crust! If you don’t have a tart pan, don’t fret! The original recipe calls for a rustic tart, more reminiscent of the galette Tabitha and I made a few months ago back in February. In fact, I left those directions in for you. J Vidalia onions already out of season? Any sweet onion will do. But they’ll be gone soon so make this now!

Vidalia Onion Tart

adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from SouthernLiving Magazine, May 2009

2 Tablespoons butter

4 medium-sized Vidalia onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 6 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (other herbs can be subbed)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 recipe pie dough, or 1 refrigerated pie crust

1 egg white, lightly beaten (can substitute cream)

3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese (can sub Swiss cheese or a parmesan, asiago, and romano mix)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and pepper (and sugar if necessary). Stirring occasionally, cook 8-12 minutes, or until tender. Reduce heat to low and cover; cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until onions are browned and caramelized. Stir occasionally while cooking. Note: This process can take as long as 45 minutes. Do make sure to have the onions extra thinly sliced so it goes quickly.
2. Shape pie crust on a lightly floured surface by rolling out into a 12-inch circle. Do this on parchment paper to make the transfer to a baking sheet easier.
3. Brush with egg white, and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over dough. Top with onions, leaving a 2 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle remaining cheese, and fold the pie crust over the edge of the onions, pleating as you go. Leave a 4-inch wide opening in the center. Brush crust with egg white.
4. Bake at 425°F on the bottom rack 17-19 minutes, or until crust is golden-brown and cheese has melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

THOUGHTS:

The recipe as written was a bit too heavy on the pepper (I reduced it for you), but I found the flavors quite pleasing otherwise. However, I found myself wanting parmesan instead of gruyere (though the gruyere worked very well with the onions). And then I found myself wanting a buttery, Ritz cracker topping instead of pie crust. Hrm, now it’s starting to sound more like Vidalia Onion Casserole than Vidalia Onion Tart. So it looks like I need to bring that recipe out the next time I find sweet onions!

VERDICT:

I’m-not-trying-that: 1 vote

It’s-got-potential-but-I’ll-be-making-some-changes: 1 vote

To see Tabitha's take on Vidalia Onion Tart, head on over to Double the Garlic!

Action shot featuring Tabitha's beautiful hands!