JuanJo’s Farm Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

For the tomatoes:

• 4 ripe tomatoes, about 8 ounces each
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces semi-matured or hard goat cheese, finely grated

For the pesto:

• 1 cup shelled pistachios, raw and unsalted
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup finely grated semi-matured or hard goat cheese, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 
• Coarse sea salt to taste

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Halve the tomatoes horizontally and place them, cut side up, in a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown. Then top each half with equal amounts of the cheese and roast for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.

Step 3

While the tomatoes are roasting, make the pesto. Warm the pistachios in a hot, dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough time to wake up their natural oils but not to color them. This keeps the pesto a vivid green.

Step 4

Pulse the pistachios and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the basil, lemon zest, and juice and pulse a few more times. Add the cheese and pulse briefly to combine.

Step 5

With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto becomes a spoonable consistency. If too thick, add more olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Taste and season with salt if needed. If desired, add more lemon for brightness, more olive oil for body, and/or more cheese for richness.

Step 6

Plate two tomato halves on each of four plates and spoon generous amounts of the pesto over each one.