Grace Parisi Tomato Tartlets (Recipe)

Food and Wine's Grace Parisi deconstructed the traditional French tomato tart and came up with amazingly fast and easy hors d'oeuvre.  Her stroke of genius: Instead of making individual tarts, she prebakes a large rectangle of puff pastry, spreads on silky pureed ricotta cheese, tops it with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, cuts and serves.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound fresh ricotta

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish

30 cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved crosswise

All-purpose flour, for rolling

1/2 pound all-butter puff pastry

Makes 5 dozen pieces - Total: 45min

Steps

1.  Preheat the oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Position racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 9 1/2-by-17 1/2-inch rectangle. Using a straight edge, trim the pastry to a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry to the baking sheet and poke all over with a fork. Top with another sheet of parchment and another baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack, until golden. Remove the top sheet and parchment paper and bake the pastry until lightly browned and dry, about 10 minutes longer. Slide the paper and pastry onto a rack and let cool.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and 2 teaspoons of thyme and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut side up, and bake on the upper rack for about 15 minutes, until softened slightly. Let cool.

3.  In a food processor, puree the ricotta until very creamy. Spread the ricotta over the pastry and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on the ricotta in 5 rows of 12. Sprinkle lightly with fresh thyme. Using a long knife, cut the pastry between the tomatoes into 60 squares. Transfer the tartlets to platters and serve at once.

MAKE AHEAD

The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and kept at room temperature for up to 8 hours.

* Lambrusco, Emilia-Romagna's delicious sparkling red, is great with tartlets because its effervescence refreshes the palate.  Try the 2009 Medici Ermete Solo Reggiano or NV Cantine Ceci La Luna.