Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Pesto Mousse
I have this thing for tomatoes. I’m sure you’ve noticed.
There’s quite a few tomato recipes here, mostly in soup or sauce form, so I thought I’d skip the extra step of pureeing them for once and simply roast ’em whole.
To make this more of a meal, I’ve added some oomph from slivered almonds and whirled them around with fresh basil to make the most luscious mousse that resembles pesto – but on a whole new level.
If you, like me, love tomatoes I’m sharing a few of my favorite tomato recipes below for easy access. Then, I’ll move onto the recipe.
Tomato Soups
Tomato Sauces
This meal is very low-maintenance if you know what I mean. I’m a low-maintenance person so low-maintenance recipes are what fill up my life and my belly.
You’re welcome to use grape or cherry tomatoes here – grape are more oval in shape while cherry tomatoes are perfectly round. Use whatever floats your boat. I’ve found the tiny tomatoes at the farmer’s market are always ten-times as flavorful as those in the food store. If you have a farmer’s market nearby, head there for your tomatoes because you’re only using olive oil and sea salt to jazz them up. You’ll want your tomatoes to be fresh and sweet.
As for the Pesto Mousse, this has become one of my new favorite go-to ways to add protein and more substance to everything from salads to roasted veggies. The hit of garlic and tang from fresh lime juice teams up nicely with the tender roasted tomatoes. You’re in for a nice treat.
I think you’ll be very happy with the end result.
Cast Iron Baking Sheet + Unbleached Parchment Paper
I have one last note about non-toxic cookware before you dive into the recipe. I’ve briefly discussed this in the audio recording below but it’s worth mentioning again.
For those of you who don’t want to use aluminum baking sheets/ cookware, like myself, you can find this cast iron baking sheet and the unbleached parchment paper in The Kitchen.
If you’re new here and unsure why I avoid aluminum cookware and bleached parchment paper, you can learn more about heavy metals and toxins leaching into our food in my book, Eating Clean.
Enjoy!
Click the Play button below to hear me share a few helpful tips and walk you through the simple steps of making this recipe. Maybe, like me, you’ve had times when you’ve struggle to read through a recipe and follow the steps. All kinds of life circumstances–grief, trauma, stress—can tax our cognitive processing abilities, which is why I’ve created these audio clips to further support you now that I’m in this more healed place.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Pesto Mousse
Ingredients
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 1.5 pounds cherry (or grape) tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- fresh flat-leaf parsley optional for serving
Pesto Mousse
- 1 cup slivered almonds (see note)
- 1 heaping cup packed fresh basil
- 1 cup water
- 3 large garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dump the tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Using your hands, gently toss to coat ensuring the tomatoes are glossy and well coated. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have partially collapsed.
- Meanwhile, make the Pesto Mousse by combining all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Puree until silky smooth. Season to taste. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Spread large dollops of the Pesto Mousse onto serving plates, top with the roasted tomatoes and sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.
- Store leftover tomatoes and Pesto Mousse in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
