MULTICOLORED TOMATO TARTLETS

Multicolored Tomato Tartlets image

This is what guests who come over to my house during tomato season are served: individual warm puff pastry tarts topped with basil, nutty Parmesan and jewel-like slices of tomato. When I want to go all out, I'll use one perfect slice for each tart, cutting them from different heirloom varieties; you can mix the unused tomato parts into a gorgeous salad. As long as you use all-butter pastry and good tomatoes, you can vary or skip the cheese and herbs. Or if you have some mascarpone left over from your baked stuffed tomatoes, a smear of it at the bottom of the crust makes a luxuriant cushion.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 30m

Yield 6 or more tartlets

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

2 to 3 small firm heirloom tomatoes, preferably in different colors
Flour for dusting
1 14-ounce package puff pastry, defrosted but cold
1/4 cup mascarpone, optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Coarse sea salt, to taste (fleur de sel is a good choice)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Slice stem and bottom ends from tomatoes. Slice remaining tomato crosswise into rounds 1/2 inch thick. You will need 6 or more nice rounds (see Step 2). If you like, you can cut rounds from 6 different-colored tomatoes. (Use leftover tomato for another recipe.)
Dust a flat surface with flour, and unfold pastry onto the surface. Cut pastry into circles about 1 inch wider than tomato slices. You will need at least 6 circles. (If your tomato slices are small and you can cut more than 6 circles out of the puff pastry, cut more rounds of both tomato and pastry. The important thing is that the pastry circles be close to an inch larger than the tomato slices.)
Transfer pastry to baking sheet. Spread some mascarpone, if using, over each pastry circle. Sprinkle pastry with basil; top with a tomato slice. Pinch edges of pastry up around edges of tomato. Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper. Scatter Parmesan over rounds. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 393, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 287 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams