monegasquedessert
Tarte aux Blettes
A surprising Monaco tart with Swiss chard, pine nuts, and currants in sweet pastry.
Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Servings
8
Difficulty
Medium
★★★★★
4.5(312 ratings)#tart#chard#pine-nuts#sweet#unusual#traditional
About This Recipe
Tarte aux Blettes is Monaco's most unexpected speciality — a sweet pastry shell filled with Swiss chard mixed with pine nuts, raisins, eggs, and sugar. The combination of savoury chard with sweet, fruity filling sounds unusual but is utterly addictive. It has been made along the Riviera coast since the Renaissance and remains a fiercely proud local tradition.
Ingredients
Serves 8
- 300 gshortcrust pastry (homemade or shop-bought)
- 400 gSwiss chard leaves, blanched and squeezed dry
- 60 gpine nuts
- 60 gcurrants or raisins
- 2 largeeggs, beaten
- 60 gcaster sugar
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the chard
Finely chop the blanched, squeezed chard. Combine with eggs, sugar, pine nuts, and currants. Mix well and season lightly with salt.
- 2
Line the tin
Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and line a 23 cm tart tin. Pour the chard filling in evenly.
- 3
Top and crimp
Roll remaining pastry and lay over the filling. Trim, press the edges together to seal, and crimp. Brush with a little beaten egg.
- 4
Bake
Bake at 180 °C for 35–40 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden.
- 5
Cool and dust
Leave to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve at room temperature.
Pro Tips
- →
Squeeze the chard extremely dry to prevent a soggy base.
- →
The tart is better the next day when the flavours have melded.
Variations
- •
Add grated apple or pear to the filling for extra moisture and sweetness.
- •
Use filo pastry for a crisper, lighter shell.
Storage
Keeps at room temperature up to 2 days; refrigerate up to 4 days.
History & Origin
Tarte aux Blettes appears in Monegasque cookbooks as early as the 1700s and reflects the Arabic influence on medieval Mediterranean sweet-savoury cuisine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it served hot or cold?
Traditionally at room temperature — though a warm slice is also delicious.
Can I substitute the chard?
Spinach works, but chard gives the correct flavour.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (160g) · 8 servings total
Calories310kcal
Protein7g
Carbohydrates38g
Fat15g
Fiber2g
Protein7g
Carbs38g
Fat15g
Time Summary
Prep time25 min
Cook time40 min
Total time65 min
Have Questions?
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →More Monegasque Recipes
Community
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes