Tarte Provencale aux Sardines
A thin crisp tart with a tomato base, sweet roasted onions, black olives and whole sardine fillets laid on top.
Made with Basic tomato sauce and Shortcrust pastry. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.41 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Roll out your ready made shortcrust pastry (see the base recipe) and line a 28 by 20 cm rectangular tin or a 26 cm round tin. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 20 minutes.
- 2
Line with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes until dry.
20 min - 3
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the red onion for 8 minutes until soft and sweet.
8 min - 4
Spread your ready made tomato sauce (see the base recipe) over the pastry base and scatter over the onions, olives, capers and half the thyme.
- 5
Lay the drained sardines on top, side by side, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the edges of the pastry are crisp.
13 min 20 s - 6
Scatter with the remaining thyme and serve warm with a green salad.
Tips
- Reduce the tomato sauce until it is thick before spreading, or the tart will turn soggy. A thin layer is enough.
- Buy sardines packed in olive oil and drain well. Boneless fillets are easiest, but whole ones have more flavour.
- Add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes and a few torn basil leaves just before serving for freshness.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten the day it is made. Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days and is good cold. Reheat at 180C (fan 160C) for 10 minutes until hot through.
Questions
Can I use fresh sardines?
Yes. Ask your fishmonger to butterfly and bone 8 sardines, lay them skin side up on the tomato and bake for 12 minutes until the flesh flakes. Brush with olive oil first.
Can I use anchovies instead?
Yes, but they are saltier, so omit the capers and olives or reduce them. Lay a lattice of 8 to 10 anchovy fillets over the tomato.
Is it dairy free?
The tart topping is dairy free but the standard shortcrust base contains butter. Use the dairy free version of the base for a dairy free tart.
More made with basic tomato sauce
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.