ZUCCHINI PIZZETTE

Makes: 8-10 pizzette

1 small zucchini

Maldon or kosher salt

1 sheet (1/2 a 454-g package) prepared puff pastry, thawed if frozen

14-oz (398 mL) can peeled plum tomatoes, drained, chopped, and drained again

4 1/2 oz (128 g) fresh mozzarella, drained and chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL) grated pecorino cheese

Small bunch of fresh thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into paper-thin rounds and arrange on a skillet or griddle. Season with a little salt. Cook on medium-high heat until charred and blistered on both sides, 3 minutes total.

3. On a cool, clean surface, unfold and lay out the puff pastry. Use a round biscuit cutter, about 3 inches (7 to 8 cm) in diameter, to cut out the bases for individual pizzette. Arrange the pastry rounds on the baking sheet, allowing plenty of space between them. Use a sharp knife to score a circle inside each pastry round, allowing a 1⁄4-inch (6 mm) margin.

4. Bake the pizzette bases until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and use your fingers to squash down the centres of the pastry if they have puffed up; you want to create a hollow. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of tomato into each hollow.

5. In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella and pecorino. Spoon a generous scoop of the cheese over the tomato, enough so that the cheese almost completely hides the tomato. Top with a couple of slices of grilled zucchini and a few thyme leaves. 6. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is deliciously melted and golden, and the pastry is crisp on the bottom. The pizzette are best eaten straight from the oven, when buttery and warm, but they will keep in an airtight container for 2 days. Reheat them in the oven before serving.