Midweek meals
A reliable and trusted friend in any kitchen, tinned tomatoes – harvested and preserved at peak ripeness – are tasty, budget-friendly and endlessly versatile. A new book by Samuel Goldsmith celebrates this storecupboard essential and shows you how, with just a handful of other ingredients, you can rustle up a delicious array of satisfying suppers
TOMATO, CHEDDAR & PESTO TART
‘Ready-rolled puff pastry is the saviour of impromptu dinner parties: it gives off showstopper vibes without taking too much time. Resist the temptation to pour the tinned tomatoes directly on to the cooked pastry; it’s important to cook them first to thicken the sauce, otherwise you’ll end up with a soggy bottom. Use any pesto you like – most flavours complement tomatoes – but I prefer the classic Genovese basil pesto because, not only does it remind me of holidays in Liguria, the basil goes excellently with a tin of tomatoes.’
SERVES 4-6
• 320g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1tsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion or 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 227g tin chopped tomatoes
• 50g Genovese basil pesto
• 40g Cheddar cheese, grated
• Handful basil leaves, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and lay it on a non-stick baking tray. Score along each side of the pastry, around 3cm in from the edge, so you have a scored rectangle just inside the pastry.
Prick the inside of the rectangle all over with a fork. Cook in the hot oven for 10-15min or until light golden brown and puffed up.
2 While the pastry cooks, heat the oil in a small pan. Add the onion/shallot and fry for 6-8min or until beginning to brown. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and cook for a few min until thickened.
3 Remove pastry from the oven and, using a spoon or fork, push the inner rectangle down so that you have a border of puffed-up pastry. Pour the tomato sauce over the indented rectangle and gently spread it out to the border. Spoon blobs of the pesto all over the sauce and then scatter over the Cheddar.
4 Cook in the hot oven for 10-12min, or until the cheese is golden and the pastry is cooked through. Top with basil leaves and serve.
VEGGIE & GLUTEN-FREE
HALLOUMI & RATATOUILLE TRAYBAKE
‘One-pot, one-tin and traybake recipes have taken the cookery world by storm. It’s no surprise, because they’re easy to throw together and generate less washing up. The perfect one-pot requires no side dishes but includes every element of a main meal. This is why tinned toma
