PESTO EGG PUFF PASTRY TARTS
THE BLISTERED PEPPERS BREAKFAST SERIES HAS BEGUN
6 servings, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
14 oz dethawed puff pastry
1 cup pesto
6 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheese, something similar to mozzarella, cheddar, Colby jack, or even a vegan option!
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt
Pepper
The Blistered Peppers Take:
You asked for it, and we answered! The Blistered Peppers Breakfast Series! I wanted to start on a high with a dish that was sort of unusual, definitely impressive, and full of flavor!
You may find this funny, but in my household we actually stay away from bread - including pasta, noodles, pretzels, etc - and dairy. Eating bread and dairy is a treat when we dine out, but I don’t want to encourage bad habits at home. Insert me being a hypocrite because I ALWAYS have Dufour puff pastry in my freezer.
I love puff pastry because well 1. It’s flakey and buttery and 2. It’s extremely versatile. You can place puff pastry atop a stew. You can use it for desserts like apple tarte tatin. And my favorite, you can use it as an appetizer vessel for, well just about anything. Often, when I have people coming over for dinner, I’ll dethaw the pastry, cut it into squares, and fill it with whatever I have in the fridge - cheese, tomatoes, pesto, arugula, mushrooms, maybe some shredded chicken?!
Anyway, in developing this recipe I cared about two things, 1. How could I make sure the whole egg fits in the pasty well - hence the rectangular shape, and 2. How could I ensure there was a juiciness/moistness to the dish without using an insane amount of cheese - insert pesto and baby tomatoes!
Get cooking below. Tag me in your photos, DM with your feedback. Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Steps:
Dethaw the puff pastry if you haven’t already.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry, flipping once to ensure it is not/will not stick. Then cut into 6 rectangles about 3x2 inches. Fold the sides and tops of each rectangle to make a border, then use a fork to press the border dough into itself - this will ensure the pastry won’t unfold as it rises! Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Finally, using a fork, prick the center of the puff pastry a few times so air can circulate while cooking. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
I roll out the puff pastry to make sure it is not too thick and to ensure I can get about 6 rectangles from the puff pastry sheet. The size of the puff pastry sheet should only increase by about an inch on either side when rolling - nothing major!
Once you have removed the pastry from the oven, use the backside of a fork or spoon, and lightly press down on the center of the pastry rectangles to create a little well where the eggs will be placed. Allow the pastry to cool for about 4-5 minutes - you will see it deflate a bit.
Fill each of the pastry rectangles with a nice spoonful of pesto, carefully crack an egg into the well, then border the egg with cheese - this will help the egg from escaping your pastry holder! - and top with tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Place in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.
Allow these delightful pesto, egg, pastry rectangles to cool before eating because they will be HOT! If you have leftovers, place these in the fridge and heat up in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds before enjoying tomorrow's breakfast.
