Margherita Pizza Squares

Sometimes the purest ingredients, combined in the simplest of ways, yield the best results. Take the margherita pizza for example - a lively and colorful combination of crispy pizza crust, fresh tomatoes, chewy mozzarella, and a sprinkling of fresh basil. Simple perfection. Don't mess with it. Well, I DID mess with it a LITTLE. For the crust, I used golden, flaky puff pastry. It's top to bottom perfection.

And did you notice that margherita pizza features the colors of the Italian flag? Green from basil, white from mozzarella and red from the tomatoes! I added a little culinary "fusion" with the French-inspired puff pastry crust... We're all friends here.

This makes a great appetizer, side dish, after school snack, you name it. I made it for my neighbor's last-minute cocktail party and the squares were devoured in a hot second. For me, the beauty of the dish was that I could make it ahead - I baked the squares about an hour before the party (and then I got myself ready). When I got there, I served the squares room temperature. I should clarify - I put the tray down on the table, got a drink, and when I turned around, the squares were gone. As in, the tray was shining from lack of anything on it (I could have used the shimmering surface to redo my lipstick; but that would have been weird).

Imagine if I served them fresh out of the oven. I should have made more...

Margherita Pizza Squares

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
2/3 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce of choice
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 32 equal pieces, each about 1/8-inch thick
3-4 plum (Roma) tomatoes, thinly sliced (you need 32 slices)
Dried oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves for serving, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unroll the puff pastry on a flat surface and cut each sheet into 16 squares (puff pastry sheets aren't square so you won't have 16 perfect squares, but who's gonna check?). Transfer the squares to the prepared pans.

Spoon one teaspoon of the sauce onto the center of each square. Top the sauce a slice of tomato and press down slightly to spread out the sauce. Top the tomato with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the top with the oregano, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the squares are puffed up and golden brown.

Top with basil before serving.

Here's my shiny tray...

Makes 32 squares