Tomato Tartlets with Mozzarella and Basil Recipe

The tomato harvest continues, and if you have a bag, bushel or basket full of the juicy orbs to use like I do (thanks to my sister and brother-in-law’s garden, not my meager plants), here is a quick and easy appetizer idea that mingles the popular Caprese salad flavors of tomato and basil with mozzarella, but roasts the tomatoes to bring out even more flavor and serves them up in a handy bite-sized tartlet shell.

The key to any hors d’oeuvre is cramming a ton of flavor into a small bite, notes chef and caterer Serena Bass, who contributed this recipe to Real Food.

Tomato Tartlets with Mozzarella and Basil

Makes 15 Servings

18 small grape tomatoes, halved vertically
2 tsp. olive oil
14 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 small fresh basil leaves, torn in half across the leaf
4 oz. small fresh mozzarella balls, cut into 24 34-inch- by-1/3-inch pieces (you’ll have extra)
1 package phyllo shells, baked per package instructions
2 to 3 tsp. teaspoons aged sherry vinegar

Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F.

In a bowl, toss tomatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Tip onto a small, shallow, non-reactive baking dish and bake 30 minutes, until very slightly caramelized at edges. Remove from dish and let cool.

Place a torn basil leaf in phyllo shell, followed by a piece of mozzarella and two tomato halves.

Pour sherry vinegar into a cup. Dip a teaspoon in vinegar and just touch it to tomatoes; that little dot makes a huge difference! Serve immediately.

Nutrition info (per serving): CALORIES 41 (24 From Fat); FAT 3g (Sat. 1g); CHOL 5mg; SODIUM 79mg; CARB 3g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 2g

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.