Cherry Tomato Mascarpone Tartlets Recipes

CHERRY TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the pie crust in a pie pan, then trim and crimp the edges. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until it has started to harden. Remove it from the oven and cool.
• Place a skillet on medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions have browned. Add the onion mixture to the pie crust. Sprinkle 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese on top of the pie crust and then add the cherry tomatoes on top. Make sure the cherry tomatoes really fill the pie: err on the side of overfilling rather than underfilling. They will settle as they bake. Sprinkle the thyme, the remaining Parmesan cheese and the salt on top.
• Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes start to brown and pop a little bit. Remove from the oven, garnish with additional thyme and cool before serving. Do note that this dish starts to fall apart once you begin cutting, so try to serve it all at once if possible.
• Stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Add in the butter using two knives or a spoon, but try not to use your hands too much because you want the mixture to stay as cool as possible. You can also combine the dry ingredients with the butter in a food processor, using the pulse setting. The objective is to get the butter incorporated with the flour, creating pea-size pieces.
• Slowly add in the water and mix until it just comes together as a dough. The amount varies depending on the type of flour and butter you use; it may take more or less liquid to bring together. Dump the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press together in a round, wrap well and chill for at least an hour.
• To roll out, flour a work surface well and divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin (or an empty wine bottle if you don't have one), roll out each half into a 1/8-inch-thick round, creating two crusts. The crusts are now ready to be used.

CHERRY TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Roll out pie dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Gently transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; press to fit snugly. Trim dough so there's 1/2-inch overhang on all sides. Gently fold edges of dough under to create a slight lip of dough over the top of the pan on all sides.
• Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork, being sure to not puncture all the way through. Place the prepared crust into the freezer until completely chilled, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until golden brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Mix Gouda, basil, mayonnaise, Cheddar, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, oregano, pepper, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the cooled onion and garlic until completely combined.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove tart pan from the freezer. Gently spread the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom. Place cherry tomatoes evenly over the top and gently press down. Place tart on a large baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown, cheeses are bubbly, and most of the tomatoes have burst, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Gently remove the tart from the pan and place on a serving platter. Serve warm.

PASTA WITH A CHERRY TOMATO AND MASCARPONE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet, over a medium heat.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the cherry tomatoes, onion and salt. Stir frequently. This mixture will need to cook for about 25 minutes until the sauce has developed.
• When the tomatoes soften and the skins start to burst, press on them to release the juices inside. Once the majority of the skins have burst, it does not need stirring more than once every 5 minutes.
• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, so it will be ready in time for the sauce.
• After about 25 minutes, the tomatoes should all have split and the juices should have created a sauce. Stir in the mascarpone cheese until melted and blended in.
• If desired, use a blender or hand-blender to puree the sauce, otherwise it can be left chunky.
• Add the parmesan cheese and basil leaves to the sauce, stir and serve on top of the pasta or mixed together with the pasta.