Savory Tomato and Feta Crostata

To prepare the crust: Chop the basil leaves, then add them to a small bowl of a food processor and pulse until thoroughly minced. Set aside.

In the large bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and butter and pulse until butter is the size of peas. Add minced basil and continue to pulse until basil is uniformly distributed and dough just begins to show signs of sticking together. With machine running, add ice water, one tablespoonful at a time, until dough clumps together. The dough should take on a uniform green color as the basil is moistened and incorporated into the dough. Gather dough together and wrap in plastic wrap, flattening it into a 1/2-inch thick disc. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Once it’s chilled, roll dough out between layers of plastic wrap, then transfer to a glass or ceramic baking dish, crimping edges decoratively. Bake for 8 minutes at 450 F. Check during baking to press down any air bubbles that might form under the crust. Let crust cool (about 15 minutes), and reduce oven temperature to 400 F.

While the crust is cooling, prepare the feta filling by mixing together the cottage cheese, feta, egg, and freshly-ground black pepper. Slice the tomatoes, sprinkle the slices with salt, and let them sit for a few minutes to draw out some of the moisture. Pat tomato slices dry with paper toweling.

Spread feta mixture evenly over the crust, then sprinkle with oregano. Layer tomato slices on top of the feta mixture in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge, and then sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit more sea salt. Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes. Let crostata cool slightly (about 30 minutes) to let juices redistribute and the cheese filling to set before slicing and serving.