Tomato, chorizo and mozzarella tart

Master this simple shortcrust pastry to make the easy cheese and tomato bake, then you can use your skills to make all sorts of sweet and savoury tarts in the future.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Ready in: 1 hr, plus chilling, or 40 mins if using ready-made pastry

For the pastry

• 340g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
• 140g cold, salted butter, cut into small cubes

For the tart filling

• 400g passata
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil, oregano or rosemary
• ¼ onion (or 2 shallots), very finely sliced
• 10 slices of ready-sliced chorizo
• 125g ball mozzarella, coarsely grated, then put in a sieve
• 1 egg, beaten
• Small handful basil leaves (optional)

Method

1. To make the pastry, tip the flour and butter into a food processor and whizz, or do it by hand by rubbing the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until you can’t feel any butter pieces left. Pulse (or stir) in 3-4 tbsp cold water and mix to a firm dough. Knead briefly until smooth, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
3.  Line your work surface with a large sheet of baking parchment, then dust this with a little flour. Roll out your pastry to a large rectangle that’s about £1 coin thickness. Cut a neat 20cm x 30cm rectangular tart base from this.
4.  Re-roll the trimmings and cut 1.5cm wide strips from them. Brush the border of the tart base with some beaten egg, then stick on the pastry strips around the edge to make a raised border – like a picture frame. Press down lightly to stick, and crimp the edge all the way around, if you like. Lift the paper and pastry carefully onto a baking sheet.
5.  Put the passata in a bowl, then stir in the tomato purée, garlic and dried basil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the tomato mixture over the centre of the pastry, up to the border. Then scatter over the onions and chorizo, followed by the cheese.
6.  Brush the pastry border with some more egg, then bake on a high shelf in the oven for 20 mins, until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for 10 mins until warm, or enjoy at room temperature, scattered with basil leaves, if you like.

STAR BAKER TOP TIP!
Avoid a soggy bottom on your tart by placing another baking tray in the oven to warm up while you make the recipe. Then put the tart tray on top to cook when ready.