Thursday, December 16, 2010

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto


Trying to squeeze in the time to cook is a challenge at the moment. Something quick & easy is about all I can handle. One of my favorite weeknight dinners is a hamburger {no bun} on a plate, with a thick slice of tomato & some pesto. So simple, yet easy & delicious.
When I saw this recipe in Ina's new cookbook, I thought, Yum!...that would make an awesome hamburger topper! So, this week, that is exactly what I did.
I was able to find a nice, ripe tomato, because "UglyRipes" are available in my area. But, if you can't find one, it's not that big of a deal, as the tomatoes get roasted anyway. Just find the best looking one you can.
For this recipe you can use store bought pesto {as I did}, or homemade.

Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Core the tomatoes & slice them into big, thick slices {about 4 per tomato}. Lay them out on a baking sheet & drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle on 1 teaspoon oregano, a 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & some freshly ground pepper {to taste}. Roast for 10 minutes.

Remove them from the oven, spread a layer of pesto over each one {about a 1/4 cup total} & then sprinkle all the tops with some grated Parmesan.

Roast for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted & the tops are starting to brown. Serve hot, or room temperature.

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?
Serves 2-4
Good tomatoes are typically hard to come by in winter months. For this dish, since the tomatoes are getting roasted, it's not essential to have perfect tomatoes. But, if you can find some good ones, all the better.

2 large, ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pesto {homemade, or store bought}
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Core the tomatoes & slice them into big, thick slices {about 4 per tomato}. Lay them out on a baking sheet & drizzle them with the olive oil. Sprinkle on the oregano, salt & freshly ground pepper {to taste}. Roast for 10 minutes.
Remove them from the oven, spread a layer of pesto over each one & then sprinkle all the tops with Parmesan. Roast for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted & the tops are starting to brown. Serve hot, or room temperature.
Click here for the printable recipe.

7 comments:

Joanne said...

Roasted tomatoes and pesto are one of those rare combinations that are universally adored. I love the sound of this as a burger topper. Way more flavor than a plain old hunk of cheese.

Angharad said...

Super easy and delicious sounding! Love this. I love making homemade pesto too. Yum.

Jennifer said...

Oh YUM! These look wonderful! I can't wait for summer now and fresh garden tomatoes!

Kirsten @ Triple Max Tons said...

YUM! Healthy, wholesome and just amazing sounding...love the burger idea, Joanne!

Citron said...

Will definetely add this to my Christmas eve buffet! So beautiful. So simple. So delicious! Thanks.

chow and chatter said...

wow this looks amazing simple and packed with flavor you have a great blog

rebecca

Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen said...

What a nice simple recipe, I bet this would be a great topping for toasted bread too.

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