Upside Down Tomato Pesto Tarts

These light savoury tarts are just the thing for New Years Eve, combining the red and green colours of the season and the tastes of summer. Even better, they’re easy to make.

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

Make sure you use ripe red Roma tomatoes for these tarts. A homemade basil pesto will ensure they are full of flavour. You will need a 12-hole patty tin. At their best served warm.

Ingredients
Serves 12

  • ripe Roma tomatoes 12 large, washed and cut into 1.5cm rounds
  • unsalted butter 50g, melted
  • sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • sugar
  • basil pesto, preferably homemade 20- 24 large teaspoons (see below)
  • frozen butter puff pastry sheets 2

Basil Pesto:

  • fresh basil leaves 60g, washed and dried
  • garlic, 2 cloves, peeled and chopped
  • flat leaf parsley, 30g
  • toasted pine nuts, 2 – 3 tablespoons
  • freshly grated parmesan, 3/4 cup, finely grated
  • extra virgin olive oil, 125ml (1/2 cup)
  • salt, optional

Preheat oven to very low (100C/80C fan-forced).
Place the cut tomatoes on a cake rack over an oven tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and a little sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 2 – 3 hours or until slightly dried out.
Brush 12 patty tin holes generously with the melted butter. Place a roasted tomato round in each hole. Some of the tomatoes might not be big enough, so use two smaller ones. Top each one with a teaspoon of basil pesto, then cover with a round of pastry, using a pastry cutter slightly larger than the hole.
Turn oven heat up to 200C (180C fan-forced).
Cover with a sheet of baking paper and a tray (to hold them down). Place in preheated oven. Bake 12 minutes.
Remove the tray and baking paper and allow the pastry to brown for 5 – 6 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully tip out of patty tins.

For the Basil Pesto: Process the basil, garlic, parsley, pine nuts and parmesan to a paste in a food processor or blender. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Taste and add a little salt if needed.