Vegan Tomato Tartlets with Spinach Pesto

Tomato Tartlets with Spinach Pesto are the perfect party treat. Your omnivore friends probably won’t even realize that they’re vegan!

A few weeks ago I promised to share the canapé recipes I created for my Rouxbe project with you. This is the third of the five appetizers I made, and it was inspired by my recipe for Asparagus and Tomato Tart with Cashew Ricotta. I bought a mini tart pan recently, and I used it to make these, but you can use a muffin pan, if you like.

I had quite a lot of pesto leftover after making this recipe, but it’s super tasty, so I didn’t mind. I would have cut the recipe in half, but my food processor is on the larger side, and if I had made less pesto, the ingredients would have just stuck to the sides without mixing together. If you have a smaller food processor, feel free to cut the pesto recipe in half.

Vegan Tomato Tartlets are perfect for parties and holiday gatherings

These vegan Tomato Tartlets are perfect party food. I like to serve them at holiday gatherings and potlucks. They’re also a great appetizer for dinner parties.

Tomato Tartlets with Spinach Pesto

 

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Tomato Tartlets with Spinach Pesto are the perfect party treat. Your omnivore friends probably won't even realize that they're vegan!

Author: Dianne Wenz

Yield: 12 tartlets

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1½ cups spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ⅓ cup cold water

Cashew Ricotta

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for an hour or more
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Spinach Pesto

• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
• ½ cup raw cashews
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Tarts

• Fresh basil leaves
• 2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 12 slices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly oil the insides of a mini tart pan or muffin pan.

Make the Crust:

1. Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and kneed until mixed. Roll onto a lightly floured surface until it’s about ¼” to ⅛” thick. Use a round cookie cutter, a round glass, or a ring mold that’s approximately the size you’ll need for your pan to cut the dough into 12 circles. I used a 3” ring mold.
2. Gently pick up each piece of the dough and place in the pan compartments. Press into all of the corners and trim away any excess. Set aside until ready to fill.

Make the Ricotta:

1. Process all ingredients except the basil in a food processor until fluffy and ricotta-like. This could take up to 5 minutes. You may need to stop the food processer and scrape down the sides with a spatula once or twice. Add the basil and give it a few pulses, until it’s chopped a little and mixed in.

Make the Spinach Pesto:

1. Process the spinach, basil, cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and sea salt in a food processor until finely chopped. With the processor running, add the olive oil and continue processing until thoroughly combined.

Make the Mini Tarts:

1. Fill each crust with cashew ricotta and then top with a tomato slice. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crusts look golden brown.
2. Remove from the oven and let cook for a few minutes.
3. Top with a dollop of the pesto and a few basil leaves.

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If you enjoyed these Tomato Tartlets, you may also like:

• Spinach Artichoke Dip Bites
• Vegan Cheese and Apple Tartlets
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

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