Nathalie Dupree

January 1, 1970

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

For casual summer tarts and pies there is no need to struggle with pie pastry. The rolls of pie crusts found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store are excellent. I much prefer the “name brand” pie crusts to the store brands I have encountered, however. Serve at room temperature as a snack or appetizer. Alternately, treat this as an upscale grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and serve it with tomato soup on a rainy day.

1 pie crust (may be store bought)
1 1/2 cups grated or sliced mozzarella cheese
1 recipe oven roasted tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, thyme, oregano or marjoram (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10 inch tart pan, preferably with removable bottom. Trim off the excess around the edges. Layer the bottom with the cheese, saving a 1/4 cup for the top. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, spreading evenly over the mozzarella. Move to a cookie sheet.

Bake 25-30 minutes or crust is golden and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for a few minutes. Add herbs if desired. Allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting.