MEDITERRANEAN PUFF PASTRY TARTLETS





Mediterranean Puff Pastry Tarts with Pesto (Pizza Style!)

 These puff pastry tarts are easy to make and can be adapted to your individual taste.  We made them with a pesto base but you could use tomato sauce if you preferred.  They are nice served with salad (we made a Greek Salad).  They make a delicious alternative to traditional pizza

Block of Just Roll Puff Pastry (500g makes 4 tarts)
Flour for rolling pastry
100g Fresh Pesto (homemade or from supermarkets)
Selection of pizza topping ingredients such as
  • Fresh tomatoes
  • Grated cheese
  • Olives
  • Peperoni or salami 
  • Pepper (we used an orange pepper)
  • Red Onion
  • Oregano/Basil
  • Black Pepper

First  put the oven on at 200c and lightly oil a non-stick baking sheet

Cut the block of Just Roll Puff Pastry into 4 squares and carefully roll out each square on a floured board into a larger thinner square about the thickness of a coin using a rolling pin. Then using a knife gently score a line 1cm in from the edge of each pastry square all the way around but making sure you do not cut right through the pastry.(we called this the puff line)  Place the prepared pastry bases apart on the baking sheet

Using a teaspoon spread pesto sauce generously and evenly in the middle of each pastry base but being careful not to spread it over the puff line (i.e. you want to keep the border of each puff pastry square free from any ingredients so it can puff up in the oven) 

Next slice some tomato thinly and put a few slices on top of the pesto, within the border.  Then you can add whatever you like - we had some finely sliced red onion, a few sliced olives a little chopped up pepper and a few bits of salami.  We topped this with some grated cheese, a sprinkling of oregano/basil and some black pepper. All within the border!

When the tarts are all prepared put them in the hot oven for 20 minutes and watch them puff up.  Best eaten hot but be careful not to burn your mouth!
We served these tarts with a Greek Salad:.  To make one get a salad bowl and combine roughly chopped tomatoes with chunks of cucumber, orange pepper, slices of red onion, roughly chopped fresh parsley, black olives and diced feta cheese. Dress the salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar) with a pinch of salt and pepper and a sprinkling of dried oregano.  Toss together and eat!

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