Tomato And Mozzarella Tart

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• unbleached all-purpose flour, for work surface
• 1 1/8 lbs puff pastry, thawed in box in refrigerator overnight
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1 lb plum tomato, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3 to 4 medium)
• table salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper
• 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Recipe

• 1 brush egg along one edge of one sheet of puff pastry. overlap with second sheet of dough by 1 inch and press to seal pieces together.
• 2 with rolling pin, smooth out seam. dough should measure about 18 by 9 inches. use pizza wheel or knife to trim edges straight.
• 3 with pizza wheel or knife, cut 1-inch strip from long side of dough. cut another 1-inch strip from same side.
• 4 cut 1-inch strip from short side of dough. cut another 1-inch strip from same side. transfer pieces of dough to parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.
• 5 gently press long strips of dough onto each long edge of dough and brush with egg. gently press short strips of dough onto each short edge and brush with egg.
• 6 with pizza wheel or knife, trim excess dough from corners.
• 7 adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• 8 sprinkle parmesan evenly over shell; using fork, uniformly and thoroughly poke holes in shell.
• 9 bake 13 to 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 13 to 15 minutes longer.
• 10 transfer to wire rack; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• 11 while shell bakes, place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes.
• 12 place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.
• 13 combine garlic, olive oil, and pinch each salt and pepper in small bowl; set aside.
• 14 sprinkle mozzarella evenly over warm (or cool, if made ahead) baked shell. shingle tomato slices widthwise on top of cheese (about 4 slices per row); brush tomatoes with garlic oil. bake until shell is deep golden brown and cheese is melted, 15 to 17 minutes.
• 15 cool on wire rack 5 minutes, sprinkle with basil, slide onto cutting board or serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.