Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Tart (Mom's)

By AnneS

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 6 oz (about 1 1/3 cups) flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 Tablespoons cold butter cut into 1/2" cubes
• 2-4 Tablespoons ice water
• For the pie:
• 4 medium beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling on the tomatoes
• 1 cup packed basil leaves plus extra small leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons ricotta
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz)
• 1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil for brushing on the tomatoes

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt, add the butter and working quickly with your fingertips mix the dough until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the rest in small pea-sized lumps. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of the ice water evenly over the mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Gently squeeze a small handful; it should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more ice water, 1/2 Tablespoon at a time, stirring 2 or 3 times after each addition until it comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and with the heel of your hand, smear the dough in a forward motion on the work surface to help distribute the fat. Gather the smeared dough together and repeat. Form the dough into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic, until firm--at least 1 hour.

Remove the dough and left soften for 30-40 minutes at room temp. On a slightly floured board, roll the dough into an 11" round, and ease it into a tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Trim the excess dough and prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the shell with aluminum foil and fill that with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove foil and weights, return tart shell to oven and bake until its golden brown--about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.

Make the filling:
Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees. Slice the tomatoes 1/3" thick, lightly salt the slices on both sided and transfer them to a large colander or cake rack to drain for 20 minutes (I used paper towels, and changed frequently). In a food processor, combine the basil, ricotta and eggs and process til blended. Add the salt, mozzarella, Parmesan and pepper and process until combined. Pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels. Line the bottom of the pastry shell with the tomato end pieces, and spoon on the cheese mixture, smoothing it out with a spatula. Arrange the remaining slices on top, in one layer, overlapping them slightly. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil and bake until the cheese mixture is set, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!