Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed With Pesto
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1 or 2garlic cloves, to taste
- 1½cups fresh basil leaves
- 2tablespoons pumpkin seeds or Mediterranean pine nuts
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓cup (2½ ounces) freshly grated Parmesan
- 1pint cherry tomatoes
For the Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed With Pesto
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
79 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 3 grams protein; 103 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
For the Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed With Pesto
- Step 1
To make the pesto, turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the basil, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil to the food processor, and process until smooth and creamy. Add the Parmesan, and pulse until well combined. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Add the basil leaves gradually, and mash with the pestle. Add the pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Mash to a paste with the basil. Work in the olive oil and the Parmesan.
- Step 2
Using a paring knife, cut thin slices from the tops of the cherry tomatoes. Use a grapefruit spoon or small spoon to scoop the seeds and flesh from the center of each tomato. Lightly salt the hollowed out tomatoes if desired, and place them, cut side down, on a rack to drain for 15 minutes. Fill with the pesto, arrange on a platter and serve. Refrigerate or freeze any excess pesto.
- Variation: Warm stuffed tomatoes with pesto: Use six to eight medium tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tops off the tomatoes, and scoop or gently squeeze out the seeds. Fill with pesto, and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Heat through for 15 to 20 minutes until warm; the tomatoes should still be intact. Serve.
Private Notes
Comments
These pesto stuffed tomatoes were delicious. My only cook's note for next time is to thinly slice the bottom of each tomato so that the tomato will stand up. Otherwise, the tomato will flop over.
These were great! The only slight problem was that I made them an hour early and the pesto darkened by the time I was ready to server. I will try squeezing a bit of lemon on them next time to see if that helps.
So far as serving, I ended up making a little bed of parsley sprigs and nestling the tomatoes in it. The sprigs kept the tomatoes upright and added a nice bit of contrasting color.
The inside pulp and seeds gives tomatoes there wonderful taste. Why can't she incorporate her "refuse" in the recipe?
To keep them from falling over, I cut the bottom of the tomatoes and filled them from that end rather than the top.
This was a huge hit. I added a small piece of fresh mozz to each tomato only because my pesto was from last year's freezer batch and it was a little brown.
To combat the pesto darkening, blanch the basil briefly in boiling water and then shock in cold water with ice cubes. The basil will stay bright green!!
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