Flatbread appetizer w/roasted tomatoes and goat cheese (aka Yummy Appetizer)

Welcome to my rip-off of Bertucci's* Roasted Tomato and Flatbread appetizer. On our next trip to the restaurant, after first trying this dish, my Dear Wife said, "What was that yummy appetizer we got last time?" and so it was rechristened Yummy Appetizer.

This dish is essentially a deconstructed pizza, where the dough is baked plain with olive oil and herbs, and the sauce and cheese are cooked in a separate dish and used for dipping. The cheese in the original is chevré, but I have used feta, and - in a pinch - grated Parmesan.

If you need a recipe for dough, I've thoughtfully included one in my other Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-pizza-4/

Ingredients (2-4 servings):

• 18-20 oz Pizza Dough (see link above)
• Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is what I use)
• 16 oz Crushed Tomatoes (I just use canned. If you read the pizza 'ible, I go on and on about tomatoes)
• Spices: Pepper, Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Salt
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese, feta or any other crumbled cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Equipment:

• Pizza pan, sheet pan, or pizza stone
• oven-safe baking dish (2 cup capacity or so)

I apologize for the not-great photo quality. I was firing shots off with my iPod touch while whipping this up for dinner. Crappy low-res photo is better than no photo, right?

* - For those who don't know, Bertucci's is a U.S. chain restaurant featuring Italian dishes prepared in a wood-fired brick-oven. Use of their name should not be construed as an endorsement, blah-blah, etc.

Step 1 Prepare the tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 520 F. (Yes, very hot). Mind your smoke detectors. They may go off. Mine usually do.

Put about two cups of crushed tomatoes in an oven-safe dish. Stir in the minced garlic (you can omit the garlic if you like, it's not in the original). The cooks at the restaurant usually roast the tomatoes with a sprig of fresh oregano, but I usually just sprinkle on a little dried oregano for flavor.

Sprinkle a little salt on the tomatoes. Crumble some cheese on top, then sprinkle lightly with olive oil.

Bake on a separate rack than the one you'll use for the flatbread. If you need to do one at a time, cook the tomatoes first, as they will need to cool before you can dig in.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has been somewhat browned. I've been known to put the dish under the broiler right at the end to brown the cheese more quickly, but it's generally not necessary.

Comments

[jessyratfink]

This looks so delicious.