California Mushroom Tart

A meatless main course or delicious side. Or cut in smaller slices as an appetizer. Uses humble, button mushrooms. Looks tricky, but is very simple once you have the veggies sliced. Depending on your cheese, you may want to use a different herb than basil. Note: do not try to substitute frozen spinach for fresh - it will be too wet, and make your tart soggy.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

•  Pillsbury ready made pie dough, ready to bake
• 2  cups mushrooms
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper
• 1⁄2 onion
• 1  cup  lightly packed fresh  Baby Spinach, shredded
• 3⁄4 cup cheese, shredded, your favorite
• 2  tablespoons  thinly sliced basil
• 3  tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, diced
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Press pie dough into 9” tart pan. Press dough into pan’s fluted edge, trim excess. Cover dart shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or baking weights. Bake according to package instructions. Let cool 5 minutes and remove weights. (you may do this earlier in the day, and hold at room temperature til needed).
2. Slice veges into 1/8” slices. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cheese, spinach and basil over bottom of tart.
3. Arrange vegetables around the edge of tart shell, repeatedly overlapping 2 slices each of mushroom, red bell pepper, and onion. (the onion tends to fall apart – just use a generous pinch of shreds.) Arrange a smaller circle inside the first. Put onions in the center, covered by more mushrooms. Sprinkle with diced sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Drizzle the tart with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350F until tart is golden brown around the edges, about 30 minutes.