Author Notes
Slow-roasted tomatoes and fresh pesto are two of my favorite things to make in the summer. Last year I had made several pans of slow-roasted tomatoes for a caprese salad, and had a lot leftover. So, on a whim, I added them to my pesto and a new recipe was born. I like to eat this pesto tossed with fresh pasta, spread on a baguette slice, or even drizzled over goat cheese or mozzarella. There are many delicious ways to enjoy it! —Kelsey Banfield
Ingredients
- Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
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3 pounds
fresh, ripe tomatoes (use a meaty, juicy variety like Roma or similar)
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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3-4 teaspoons
Kosher Salt
- Pesto
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1/2 teaspoon
Kosher salt
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1 teaspoon
fresh lemon juice
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2 cups
TIGHTLY packed fresh basil leaves
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2
large garlic cloves, peeled
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1/2 cup
pine nuts
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3/4 cup
freshly grated parmesan cheese
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1/2 cup
good olive oil
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2 1/2 cups
slow-roasted tomatoes
Directions
- Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
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Preheat oven to 225.
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Line a 12x18 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, set aside.
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Wash and trim tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and toss them with your hands. Be gentle - you don't want to crush the tomatoes! Then, place them skin side down on the prepared pan.
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Put the salt in a ramekin and sprinkle the salt, pinch by pinch, over the tomatoes. Make sure each tomato has a little bit of salt on it.
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Bake tomatoes for about 3-3 1/2 hours, or until the tomatoes shrivel and brown around the edges, and have shrunk from their original size. Make sure they are still juicy in the middle - you don't want to dry them out completely. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Pesto
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Combine basil, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend into a fine paste.
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Add pine nuts and process until smooth. (Be sure to scrape down the sides to make sure everything gets combined completely.)
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Add cheese and pulse until combined. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed!)
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Add tomatoes and process until completely combined.
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Finally, with the food processor running, pour olive oil into the pesto and process until mixture is smooth and creamy. If pesto seems too thick you can loosen it up with 1/4 cup more good olive oil.
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Pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen in an airtight container, or an ice-cube tray (for individual portions).
Home cook, food blogger, cookbook author, wine lover, avid traveler, and mother of two young children. Check out my books: The Naptime Chef: Fitting Great Food into Family Life (2012), and The Family Calendar Cookbook: From Birthdays to Bake Sales, Good Food to Carry You Through the Year (2015), Running Press.
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