Vanessa Contessa Project: Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts & Pappa al Pomodoro

My cousin and her then-fiance were in town. It was chilly outside, and we wanted something warm and tasty. These tarts were flaky and full of good pesto flavor. I will admit that the tomatoes would have tasted better in the summer, but it didn’t stop us from pairing it with this beautiful, hearty soup:

A chunky, rustic tomato soup with a toasted topping of ciabatta bread, pancetta, and basil. Really comforting on a cold night in Nashville. My lovely guests  seemed to like it pretty okay too. It was so great to have them here! Wouldn’t mind having more guests in the future…hint, hint!

Vanessa Contessa Project: Savory Palmiers

Although these are filled with pesto, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts, I feel like they lack flavor. But, then again, I tend not to like pastry type things like this because I often find them bland. Oh well! I’m sure other people would find them enjoyable.