Name: Cashew Ricotta Tartlets with Celery-Olive Topping
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: ¼ cup minced celery; 2 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives , chopped; 1 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram or oregano; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , divided, plus extra for drizzling; 15 frozen mini phyllo cups; ½ cup recipe or whole-milk dairy ricotta; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Why This Recipe Works

These elegant, delectable hors d’oeuvres combine the satisfying creaminess of ricotta—either our homemade Cashew Ricotta or dairy ricotta—with an exquisitely perfumed mixture of crunchy celery, briny black olives, and aromatic fresh marjoram. What's more, they're so easy to make, you may be tempted to skip the party and whip up a batch as a light meal for two. For ease of preparation, we started with store-bought mini phyllo cups, which we crisped briefly in the oven before filling them with ricotta that we brightened with a combination of lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Making the topping was simply a matter of combining and lightly seasoning our trio of ingredients. Once filled and topped, these tartlets were ready for the festivities! For our variation, we chose a classic Italian flavor profile of tomatoes and basil to complement our ricotta.

Before You Begin

We found that a standard (2.1-ounce) box of frozen mini phyllo cups contains 15 pieces. Use two teaspoons to distribute the filling among the phyllo cups. We prefer the tender inner ribs and leaves of the celery heart in this recipe. If you can't find fresh marjoram, you can substitute fresh oregano or parsley. If using dairy ricotta in this recipe, do not use fat-free ricotta; we prefer the rich flavor of whole-milk ricotta, but part-skim ricotta can be substituted.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine celery, olives, marjoram, and 1 teaspoon oil in bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Arrange phyllo cups on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk ricotta, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil together in bowl. Divide ricotta mixture evenly among cooled phyllo cups then top with celery mixture. Drizzle with extra oil to taste. Serve.