This is one of those dinners that looks super intimidating to make but is actually really easy. All you need is an oven and puff pastry.

You’ll also need tomatoes, basil, corn, ricotta, and cotija, but I’ll get to that later. The puff pastry is the star of this dish. It sets the foundation and ties all the other ingredients together.

I held off making this tart for a while because I was intimidated by puff pastry. As it turns out, I had no reason to fear. It’s so easy to use.

Go the the grocery store and buy puff pastry in the frozen aisle. Plan on spending a little more money for the good stuff. I bought Dufour, which I’d *highly* recommend. It creates a flaky, buttery crust that’s so good, you’ll forget it was ever frozen.

To make this tart, defrost the puff pastry overnight in the fridge. By the time you get home from work (or whatever else you’re doing), it will be soft but still cold. Place it on a floured surface and lightly run a rolling pin over the top, just to make sure you’ve flattened it completely.

Top the pastry with ricotta, cotija, farmers’ market tomatoes, corn, and torn basil. I was originally just going to use ricotta but then, at the last minute, I added cotija. I’m happy I did. It gives the cheese a little kick and it complements the tomatoes, corn, and basil. The flavors remind me a little of enchiladas that I like to make every spring.

Pop the tart in the oven and wait until the sides get bubbly and golden brown. The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for the tart to cool before you eat it. Technically you’re supposed to wait 10 minutes. I think I lasted about five minutes. As I’ve said before, I’m not really into delayed gratification.

ANYWAY. Make this tart as soon as possible. It’s easy, delicious, and deceptively impressive. I could see making it for a dinner party and basking in the “oohs” and “aahs,” when really all I did was roll out some pastry dough and scatter ingredients on top. A key to making the tart delicious is using fresh ingredients, though. Getting the best pastry crust, cheese, tomatoes, and vegetables will take the tart to the next level.

Here’s a song I discovered the other day. It’s good for mornings when it feels like Thursday but it’s only Wednesday. I’d also recommend it as a track for driving down the highway at high speed with the windows rolled down.

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Roasted Corn and Basil 

Ingredients

1 pack of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 ear bicolor corn, kernels removed
1/2 cup basil leaves, divided and roughly torn
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cotija cheese
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt and pepper for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Turn out the puff pastry dough onto a floured work surface and run a rolling pin over the top a couple times, just to make sure the dough is flat.

Transfer the dough to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top with ricotta, cotija, tomatoes, corn kernels, and half of the torn basil leaves. Make sure you leave about 2 inches between the toppings and the edge of pastry (this will be your crust). Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Place the tart in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!