Winter Warmer Recipe: Vegetable Tart

Whether you're giving Veganuary a go or not, this is a super quick and delicious recipe that you can easily play about with to suit your own tastes. This recipe serves 4 but you can always save some for later, or halve the ingredients if you don't want to make so much.

Ingredients

• 1 x 500 g block of ready-made puff pastry
• plain flour , for dusting
• 4 teaspoons pesto
• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
• 8 asparagus spears
• Jar of roasted peppers
• ½ a bunch of fresh basil
• olive oil
• 1 x 100 g ball mozzarella (optional)

(All of the above can be vegan, just check the ingredients when you buy! You can also buy ready made sheets of puff pastry if you'd rather not buy a block but you'll need to leave time for it to defrost.)

Method

1. Turn on the oven to 200ºC/gas 6. Carefully cut the pastry block in half with a table knife. Wrap the other half and refrigerate or freeze for later.
2. Dust some flour onto a clean work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry into a square, measuring 26cm x 26cm. Cut into 4 equal squares.
3. Place the pastry squares on a baking tray, leaving a space between each. 
4. Using the back of a spoon, spread the centre of each square with pesto, but don’t spread it onto the edges.
   
5. Squash the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl, then snap the asparagus spears into 3cm pieces. Keep the lovely pointy tips and a little of the stalk, but discard the end.
6. Tear the roasted peppers into strips and add to the bowl.
7. Pick the basil leaves, reserving the pretty ones for later. Place the large ones in the mixing bowl.
8. Mix the vegetables together in the bowl, adding a splash of oil. Pile a little of the mixture on each pesto-smeared tart 
9. If you're using it, break up the mozzarella and place little bits on top of each tart – this will make it gooey like a pizza.
10. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cheese is all bubbly.
11. Once the tarts are ready, allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle with the left over basil leaves and serve.
12. Enjoy!