A simple way to liven up roasted tomatoes and add beautiful color to a meal. ---Barbara
Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto and Cheese
(adapted from Ina Garten, How Easy is That?)
Serves 6
3 large, firm ripe tomatoes
salt and pepper
dried oregano
olive oil
pesto sauce (see recipe
here), 6-8 Tablespoons
grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, 6 Tablespoons
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees.
Line a roasting pan, which has sides, with aluminum foil.
Wash and dry the tomatoes, core them, and slice in half. If necessary, cut off the bottom to make them lie flat. Your tomato halves should be thick, about 1 - 1.5 inches, so they are meaty and will hold the pesto and cheese.
Place them in the roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with dried oregano.
Roast them for 20 - 25 minutes until they are starting to soften in the middle when you test them with the tip of a paring knife. Pull them out, spoon the pesto sauce over each top, then return to the oven until the pesto melts down into the tomato, another 5 minutes.
Then, pull them out again, sprinkle the cheese over each one. Return to the oven, and roast another 5 minutes, or turn on the broiler, and brown them.
Watch them carefully, if you do this, as they will easily burn.
Sprinkle them with a little salt over the top. Or serve with salt at the table.
Serve them hot, or make ahead to serve later by letting them come to room temperature, storing in the refrigerator until needed, and then gently reheat in the oven at 250, until warmed through.
---Barbara
