Intensely flavoured gooey roast tomatoes, crisp flaky pastry, creamy soft goat’s cheese and pungent pounded basil are a combination made in heaven. Easy to make, these simple tarts are a gorgeous mix of textures and flavours.
Serves 4
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
320g puff pastry sheet
flour for dusting
5 tbsp olive oil
12 medium tomatoes, approx 700g
2 heaped tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
generous handful of basil leaves
2 tbsp pine kernels
150g soft French goat’s cheese
Heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the puff pastry in 4 equal pieces and roll to 15 x 18cm. Lightly oil a baking sheet and transfer the pastries. Leaving a 1cm border, prick all over with a fork. Paint the border with olive oil. It’s not essential to peel the tomatoes but I think it’s worth it. Cover them with boiling water, count to 30, drain, cut out the core in a pointed plug shape and peel off the skin. Slice medium-thin thickness. Arrange the slices nudged close up to the border. Dribble with a little olive oil, sprinkle with a few breadcrumbs and then Parmesan. Bake on a top shelf for 25-30 minutes until the border is puffy and golden, the tomatoes soft and juicy and the pastry underneath cooked. Add intermittent teaspoons of cheese. Add a swirl of basil dressing and serve. To make the dressing, blitz or pound basil, pinch salt and pine kernels to a rough paste then stir in remaining olive oil to coagulate.