The word tart comes from the French word "tarte," meaning an open-faced pastry. Tarts are generally baked in a shallow, straight-sided tart pan with a fluted side and a removable bottom. They are usually round in shape but can be square or rectangular. The pastry shell may be baked and then filled with a cooked or uncooked filling. Or the shell may be baked with a filling. Fillings may be sweet or savory. Tarts come in many sizes: 8 to 10 inches in diameter to serve six to ten, 4 inches in diameter to serve one, and 1 inch in diameter for bite-size appetizers.

To prebake a pastry tart shell before filling it, prick the shell all over with a fork, line it with foil or parchment, and fill it with dried beans or rice. Bake the shell in a preheated oven; remove the liner and beans during the last few minutes of baking to allow the shell to brown. The beans (or rice) can be cooled, stored in an airtight container, and reused in the same way. Ceramic or metal pie weights are also available.