Buffalo Mozzarella, Tomato, and Pesto Tarts
Updated September 28, 2016 
Serves6
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Recipe CourseAppetizer
MealLunch
Ingredients
- 8 ounces large, ripe plum tomatoes
- About 1 pound (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 6 ounces impeccably fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 cup best-quality store-bought pesto (in the chilled section of the market--not in a glass jar)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Ingredients
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In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, immerse the tomatoes for 15 seconds.
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Pull off the skin and cut 12 thick slices; or, cut 6 slices and halve them crosswise.
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Cut three 5-inch rounds from each of the two pastry sheets, using a small plate or lid as a guide (you will need to cheat the edges slightly in a few places to get 3 rounds from each sheet; or if it’s really a tight fit, roll each sheet out so it’s an inch or so larger). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place two slices of tomato and two slices of mozzarella in the center of each dough disk, overlapping slightly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while you assemble an interesting Italian cocktail, and preheat the oven to 400°, convection if possible.
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Brush the exposed edges with beaten egg and place a few dollops of pesto on each. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry edges are golden brown. Serve at once.
Mise-en-Place
Thaw the puff pastry for at least 2 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. For this recipe, you will not be rolling the pastry out any further, so all you have to do is remove it from the package and unfold.
Lagniappe
Make your own pesto from basil or arugula.
