Now that the days are closing in and that last bit of sun is squinting through the trees, it’s time to get ready for some hearty soups and stews. But just before I get the big heavy pots and casserole dishes out, I thought I would make one last, light, and simple tomato tart. The tomatoes at the end of summer are always intensely sweet, as if they’ve soaked up every last drop of sunshine. They make the perfect partner for some crumbly buttery pastry and creamy ricotta. This delicious snack doesn’t take long to make and is a great little pick me up at the end of a long day, especially when served with a nice glass of chilled white wine.
Ingredients
- 15g of butter, for greasing cases
- 375g of puff pastry (ready-made sheet)– makes 8 cases
- 150g of Ricotta cheese
- 30g of Parmesan
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of cream
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 medium sized egg, lightly beaten
- 15-20 large cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Glug of olive oil
- Basil, to garnish
Method
Begin by preheating the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Next, grease eight small tartlet tins (mine are 4inches in diameter) with the melted butter. Place the pastry sheet on a floured surface. Cut the sheet into 8 equal sized squares. Fit each square into the prepared pastry cases. Remove the excess around the edge. Leave the pastry cases in the fridge to cool.
Meanwhile, beat together the ricotta, parmesan, crushed garlic and cream. Season with salt and pepper. At this point, make sure and taste to check seasoning. Add the beaten egg and mix in well with a spoon, until the mixture is creamy and lump free.
Slice the tomatoes into thin slices and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a few drops of olive oil, just so they are lightly coated and glistening.
Take the pastry cases out of the fridge. Divide the ricotta mixture equally between the 8 pastry cases. Carefully arrange the tomato slices in a circular pattern on top of the ricotta. Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, remove from the pastry case and serve with some torn basil leaves and a salad.
