Name: Tomato Pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 cups peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped tomatoes; 5 cloves minced garlic; 30 large fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar; Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Chef Note: This is a great sauce for pasta salad because it's delicious at room temperature. You could also slather it on bruschetta, grilled fish or chicken. Or make a brunch dish by topping a thick slice of toast with proscuitto, a poached egg and a little of this summer pesto. In summer, when you can get your hands on vine-ripe tomatoes, you don't even need to peel them. To intensify the flavor, you can add a few oven-dried tomatoes. The pesto keeps several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Tomato Pesto

peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped tomatoes

garlic

basil leaves

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and black pepper

Parmesan

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the cheese and blend briefly just to mix. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Delicious!  I’ll never buy it again. Thanks!

Delicious - Love this stuff. Sprinkle with crumbled Feta cheese and/or chopped walnuts to add protein.

Wonderful!  Served it with grilled polenta.

I've made this twice now and am in love! It is lick the bowl delicious. However, I couldn't stop at 30 leaves of basil. 

I made this tonight with a roasted spaghetti squash.  It was so delicious and great for a hot summer evening!  I've thought of embellishments for when it is not so hot, but it was delicious  as is and my husband loved it.<br />

I also cut back on the garlic for my son but then I used leftover as a base for Tomato Roasted Red Pepper Soup.  I pureed some roasted red peppers mixed it in to about half of the pesto with some half and half. Yum. 

I used canned whole tomatoes without the juice in this recipe and I put it over pasta with chicken.  It was really delicious and so easy!!!  A great thing to do with all of the basil in your garden.  This recipe is a keeper.

Great recipe for using up tomatoes and basil in full bloom.  Very good!  It was a little too spicy from the garlic for the kids, but my husband and I loved the strong garlic flavor.  I may have put in a little more than listed in recipe.  I put the sauce over penne and added shrimp.  I have a lot of leftover sauce that I'll try freezing.  We would definitely repeat this dish!

Tomato Pesto

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Michael Chiarello : Food Network

Ingredients

Instructions

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