Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan.

Place the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and olive _oil in food processor and process until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides. Add the cheese and crushed red pepper and pulse a few times to make _a thick paste.

Transfer to a bowl and fold in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2½ cups

Note: Serve on sliced baguette topped with a very thin slice of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Tips on Tomatoes

A good serrated knife is far superior to a flat-edged knife for slicing tomatoes. If you use a flat-edged knife, be certain it is very sharp or you will squash and bruise the tomato flesh when slicing.
Do not use an aluminum pot, pan or utensil when cooking tomatoes. The acid in the tomato reacts unfavorably with the aluminum and can pit and discolor the aluminum cookware.
The high acid content of tomatoes naturally slow down the cooking process of some other foods. For example, beans cooked with tomatoes may take up to twenty percent more cooking time than without.
Plum tomatoes are best used for sauces. Globe, cherry, and grape tomatoes are best for eating raw, although all varieties are good.
Herbs that marry well with tomatoes include basil, oregano, marjoram, pepper, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, sesame seed, tarragon, chives, and parsley. If you happen to be the unfortunate victim of the wrong end of a skunk, tomato juice will neutralize butyl mercaptan, the prime ingredient in the stinky defensive spray.




Appetizers Entrees Tomato Pesto Three Tomato Salsa Peppered Oven-Dried Tomato Relish Ingredients 1/4 cup pine nuts 4 cups fresh basil leaves 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 3 ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and drained Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Method Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan. Place the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and olive _oil in food processor and process until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides. Add the cheese and crushed red pepper and pulse a few times to make _a thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 2½ cups Note: Serve on sliced baguette topped with a very thin slice of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Tips on Tomatoes A good serrated knife is far superior to a flat-edged knife for slicing tomatoes. If you use a flat-edged knife, be certain it is very sharp or you will squash and bruise the tomato flesh when slicing. Do not use an aluminum pot, pan or utensil when cooking tomatoes. The acid in the tomato reacts unfavorably with the aluminum and can pit and discolor the aluminum cookware. The high acid content of tomatoes naturally slow down the cooking process of some other foods. For example, beans cooked with tomatoes may take up to twenty percent more cooking time than without. Plum tomatoes are best used for sauces. Globe, cherry, and grape tomatoes are best for eating raw, although all varieties are good. Herbs that marry well with tomatoes include basil, oregano, marjoram, pepper, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, sesame seed, tarragon, chives, and parsley. If you happen to be the unfortunate victim of the wrong end of a skunk, tomato juice will neutralize butyl mercaptan, the prime ingredient in the stinky defensive spray.