Mini Tomato & Cheese Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients

• 8 English muffins, split
• 250ml passata
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp garlic granules
• 250g mozzarella, grated
• 100g mature Cheddar, grated
• 40g pepperoni slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15g basil leaves, torn
• 40g rocket
• mixed green salad, to serve
• coleslaw, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C fan and line two baking trays with baking paper. In a bowl, stir the passata with the tomato puree, oregano, garlic granules, a splash of water to loosen, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. The water matters — passata straight from the carton tastes of tin, but loosened and seasoned it tastes of summer fruit. Watch the garlic granules go in early so they bloom in the oil rather than scorch on top of the cheese; burnt garlic turns bitter and you'll taste it across the whole tray.
2. Arrange the muffin halves cut-side up on the trays and brush the cut surfaces lightly with the remaining oil. This is the difference between a crisp base and a soggy one — the oil seals the crumb so the sauce sits on top instead of soaking in.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce on each half, going almost to the edges but stopping just short. Taste the sauce before you spread — adjust the salt now, because once the cheese is on you've lost your chance. Toss the mozzarella and Cheddar together in a bowl so they melt as one blanket rather than in stripes, then pile it on. Scatter the pepperoni over the top so the edges curl and crisp in the heat.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and freckled with gold, the pepperoni edges are crisp and cupped, and the muffin rims are toasted dark.
5. While they bake, halve the cherry tomatoes, toss them with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, and leave them to slump for five minutes — the salt pulls the juice out and turns them into a quick relish.
6. Plate the muffin pizzas hot from the tray, spoon the dressed cherry tomatoes alongside with their juices, scatter torn basil over the cheese, and pile the rocket next to them. Put the mixed green salad and coleslaw in the middle of the table to share.