Sformato fresco di Pomodori (Tomato Tart)
Ingredients:
- Puff pastry 8 oz (230 g) - round
- Tomatoes 17.6 oz (500 g) - for salads
- Mozzarella cheese 9 oz (250 g)
- Genoese pesto (Basil sauce) 2 tbsp
- Basil 4 leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 drizzle
- Salt 1 pinch
- To prepare the fresh tomato tart you will first need to cook the empty puff pastry shell in the oven, so that it becomes crunchy. To ensure that it does not swell during cooking, you will have to fill the puff pastry base with dried beans or rice, which act as weight. The tomato and mozzarella filling, on the other hand, will only have to be baked for a few minutes.
- Line a 10-inch round baking pan with baking paper, then roll out the puff pastry so that it adheres well to both the bottom and the edges of the pan. Prick the bottom with a fork, then cover it with another sheet of baking paper, over which you will pour the dried beans, distributing them evenly over the whole bottom. Instead of beans you can use uncooked rice.
- Bake the puff pastry in a preheated oven at 374°F (190°C) for about 15 minutes, after which it will be puffy and golden around the edges and cooked through, but still fairly clear, on the bottom. Remove the baking paper with the beans. Let the tart cool for about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the fresh tomato tart filling: wash and dry the tomatoes, remove the stem and cut them into thin slices. Season them with a pinch of salt and keep them aside. Cut the mozzarella into not too thick slices.
- It's time to fill the savory tart: starting from the edge, alternate the tomato and mozzarella slices on the bottom of the tart, arranging them in a circle and overlapping them a bit. Then form a second circle of tomato and mozzarella slices inside the first and, if there is space, also a third circle in the center, until the entire bottom is covered. Drizzle the surface of the tart with a little extra virgin olive oil.
- Put the fresh tomato tart back in the oven - still at 374°F (190°C) - for about 10 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted. Then take it out of the oven and brush it on the surface with the basil pesto, distributing it well over the entire surface of the tart. Finally, garnish with fresh basil leaves.
- You can serve the fresh tomato tart both hot or at room temperature.