Roasted Tomato Pesto

Yield:  4 Half Pints

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Half Lengthwise

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided

½ Teaspoon French Grey Sea Salt

¼ Teaspoon Ground Pink Peppercorns

½ Cup Sliced Almonds, Roasted

1 Cup Chopped Flat Leaf Italian Parsley

1 Tablespoon Mediterranean Kitchen Seasoning

1 Cup Finely Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

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Good chefs are always prepared! They are able to pull something out of the refrigerator or pantry on a moment’s notice to serve when friends stop by. You won’t find them rushing off to the market at the last minute in search of chips and dips, because they always seem to have something delicious they can pull together quickly should a need arise.  This pesto is one of those dishes that lends itself to such demands.  We especially like to have some of it on hand during the summer – when the tomatoes are fresh from the vine – to serve with bruschetta, and maybe a little goat cheese or ricotta. But we also love to use this pesto as the base for a creamy pesto cream sauce atop  rigatoni or penne pasta.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Slice tomatoes in half vertically and place on prepared cookie sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine and place on middle rack in oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes until tomatoes have rendered their juices and begun to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Place tomatoes in bowl of food processor. Pulse several times, then add almonds, parsley, seasoning blend, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pulse again several times.

Slowly drizzle remaining olive oil into the bowl. Process until desired consistency has been reached. Refrigerate pesto until ready to use.

MorningStar Kitchen Seasonings Featured in this Recipe

Click on images below to learn more about seasonings in this recipe