When in doubt, break out the puff pastry. Easy to work with, and always yielding a mouth-watering result, you really can’t go wrong with a dish that uses puff pastry as a base. This recipe has a Mediterranean flair and is perfect for Shavuot, brunch, or a weeknight dinner. It can be done as a rectangle shaped tart or as individual turnovers.
Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted and rolled out
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper (or 1 jarred roasted red pepper)
1 cup artichoke hearts (about half a box)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 Tablespoons pesto (my favorite recipe)
Salt, pepper, crushed chilies, to taste
1 egg
Directions
Saute the onion on low heat, until the onion is very soft and lightly browned. If you are using a fresh red pepper, roast it under the broiler until it is charred on all sides. Put it in a bowl, cover it with saran wrap, and let it cool. When it is fully cooled, peel the skin off and cut the pepper into slices.
Meanwhile prepare the puff pastry. Lay it flat on a baking sheet. Cut lines down each side, about a third of the way in, on the diagonal.
Mix the ricotta and pesto together. Season with salt, pepper and crushed chilies. (This is also an awesome dip for vegetables or pita chips!) Shmear the cheese mixture onto the middle third of the puff pastry. Top with an even layer of carmelized onions, artichoke hearts and sliced roasted red bell pepper.
Now to make it fancy looking. Fold over the sides, one strip at a time (right, then left, then right, then left…you get it) until the tart is closed. Brush with egg. Sprinkle the top with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Serve with a salad. I like serving it with a sweet salad to contrast the flavors in the tart.
Want to mix it up? Use this as a model. Include something creamy(cheese), something sweet (like the onions), and whatever vegetables you have lying around!
