Tomato and prosciutto tart with scattered basil and olives – ready for the oven.

 This is a simply beautiful tart and what’s more its extremely simple to make.  Buy the best tomatoes that you can, supermarkets and greengrocers carry a fabulous range of tomatoes in all shapes and sizes. I like to use a base layer of large vine tomatoes and then a scattering of pretty and flavoursome small yellow, orange and green vine tomatoes. The tart can be prepared to the cooking stage well in advance.

Tomato and Prosciutto Tarts

Serves 4-6

1 pack of 320g ready rolled sheet of puff pastry

180g sliced Prosciutto,

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

Freshly ground black pepper

100ml extra virgin olive oil

6 large vine tomatoes, sliced

8-10 mixed colour baby tomatoes, halved

10-12 black olives

25g fresh basil leaves, torn into strips

1 egg and a pinch of salt for the egg wash

Preparation time 30 minutes; Refrigeration before cooking 20 minutes minimum to several hours; Cooking time 40-45 minutes.

Beautiful large red vine tomatoes with garlic and basil. Use the best tomatoes that you can find.

Method

Tear the prosciutto into large pieces and put it into the bowl of a food processor along with the peeled garlic and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Pulse the motor to break up the prosciutto. Then with the motor running, pour the olive oil in through the feed mixing until the prosciutto forms a spreadable paste. Set aside until required.

Cut two pieces of baking paper measuring approximately 30x40cm. Roll the pastry sheet between the two pieces of baking paper to measure 25 x 33/5 depending on the size of your baking sheet. Make the egg wash by breaking the egg into a small bowl and whisking it with a pinch of salt until the egg is liquid.

Remove the top sheet of paper from the rolled pastry, but keep it aside for later.  Brush a 3cm border around the four pastry edges with the egg wash and then fold all four edges in by just over 3cm.  Seal by crimping the inside edge of the fold with a fork (detail in first picture above).

Put the prepared pastry sheet still on the baking paper onto a flat baking tray.

Spread the prosciutto paste over the base of the pastry case (for alternatives to prosciutto see below).

multi-coloured baby tomatoes make this beautiful tart come alive with

Arrange the sliced vine tomatoes in rows on top of the paste. Place the halved baby randomly and then scatter over the black olives and the shredded basil.

Cover the prepared tart with the top sheet of baking paper and put it into the fridge for a minimum of twenty minutes before cooking

Baked Tomato and Prosciutto Tart with basil and olives. The pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is contained within the folded and sealed edges.

Preheat oven to 190C / 375F/ Gas 5

Cook the tart for 40 – 45 minutes at the top of the hot oven. The pastry should be puffed, golden and cooked through. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving board.

Serve with a crunchy salad such as red cabbage and rocket with a raspberry vinaigrette or baby gem and fresh herbs, along with a few boiled new potatoes.

Creative cooking – make the recipe your own with alternative ideas:

Vegetarian options: to replace the prosciutto you could make a sweet onion base or a Boursin cream;

• Onion base – simply chop and lightly fry 2 onions in a little oil along with a teaspoon of sugar, a good pinch or salt and a teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme.  Cook until soft and fragrant and just beginning to colour. cool before spreading on the base of the tart.
• Boursin cream. put a large 150g pack of garlic and herb Boursin into a bowl and mix it    well with the yolk of 1 egg. spread the cream onto the base of the tart and top with tomatoes as above.

Topping additions : For a more full bodied flavour scatter a few sundried tomatoes along with the halved baby tomatoes.