Slow-Roasted Tomato Pesto

Directions

1. Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
2. Preheat oven to 225.
3. Line a 12x18 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, set aside.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

1. Pesto
2. Combine basil, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend into a fine paste.
3. Add pine nuts and process until smooth. (Be sure to scrape down the sides to make sure everything gets combined completely.)
4. Add cheese and pulse until combined. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed!)
5. Add tomatoes and process until completely combined.
6. 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.
7. 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).