Ingredients
Scale
- For the Filling:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- To Assemble:
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 package all-butter puff pastry (I like Dufour), thawed but still chilled
- 1 large egg beaten with a splash of water for egg wash
- coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Allow the puff pastry to rest chilled in the fridge. Keeping it cold is key.
- In a small bowl stir together ricotta, breadcrumbs, herbs, egg, and salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Wash whole tomatoes. Slice the top 1/2-inch of the tomatoes off and discard. Use a small spoon to scoop most of the seeds and cuts out of the tomato. You can discard that too.
- Spoon ricotta mixture into the hallowed tomatoes – filling to the top. Set the tomatoes aside.
- Now let’s work with the puff pastry. Lightly flour a work surface. Bring the puff pastry out of the fridge, untold and use a floured rolling pin to roll each side of the puff pastry, extending the dough about 1/2 to 3/4 inch on all sides.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the puff pastry in quarters along the crease lines.
- You’ll work with one piece of pastry at a time. The other three puff pastry pieces can rest on a plate in the refrigerator.
- Place a stuffed tomato into the center of one piece of puff pastry. Brush the edges of the puff pastry lightly with egg wash. This will be our glue.
- Bring opposite corner tips of the pastry together over the tomato. Pinch together. Bring the other opposite corners of the pastry to meet the first two and pinch all together. Firmly pinch all of the edges together, pressing any air out between the pastry and the tomato.
- Place the pastry covered tomato on the prepared baking sheet and continue to wrap the three remaining tomatoes.
- Brush the outsides of each pastry lightly with egg wash, looking for any places in the pastry that aren’t pinched together well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 30 to 32 minutes until the pastry is golden and puffed.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Pastries are best served warm. They can be covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight, reheat in a 300 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.
