This delicious appetizer is so rich and elegant, it’s hard to believe how easy it is! You can make your own pasty, if that’s your thing. Or just use storebought frozen — those pre-baked mini tartlet shells are the easiest, but you can also use pie crust and just cut out circles to fit a muffin pan.

I first made these a couple of weeks ago when I didn’t have the can of artichoke hearts that I thought I had. These turned out to be even better than the artichoke concoction I had planned — sometimes necessity really does breed tasty treats!

Now I’ve whipped up a few batches, including a tray full for tonight’s Oscars. Enjoy!

Recipe: Hors d’Oeuvre: Caramelized Onion & Herb Tarts
Makes approximately 3 dozen mini tarts (1.5″ wide) or 1 dozen small tarts (3.25″ wide).

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium white onion, halved crosswise and then cut lengthwise into 1/4-1/2″ strips
1 egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Pastry shells

Pre-bake and cool your pastry shells.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion. Stirring frequently, saute onion 10 minutes or so until nicely golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg. Add cream, Parmesan cheese, herbs and half the cooled onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350F. Fill pastry shells almost to the rim (custard will not puff much), being sure to distribute onion evenly among shells. Bake 10-20 minutes (baking time will depend greatly on the size of the shells you create!) until custard is set. Top each tart with a pinch of reserved caramelized onion. Serve warm!

Wine Pairing: These are versatile little morsels — working well with anything from bubbles to Chardonnay to Pinot Noir.