I will give credit to Wolfgang Puck for this recipe although as usual, I made some modifications. You can make your own pesto sauce if you want to go to the trouble, and Wolfgang's recipe is below, but there are so many quality brands in the grocery store these days, freshly made is just not appreciably better for the time and trouble you have to go through to make it. Classico makes a good pantry version of Pesto. Buitoni is also another quality brand, typically sold in the refrigerated fresh pasta section of your grocery store. Just be aware that store bought versions do have preservatives. Freshly made has a short shelf life and will only keep in your fridge a few days. I happened to have had a jar of Candoni pesto open in the fridge and used that for this recipe.
Ingredients
For the pesto
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed tight
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic (or one clove)
1 tbsp roasted pine nuts
Ingredients
For the salad
3 large tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
3 oz goat cheese
salt & pepper to taste
The Recipe
Place all ingredients for the pesto sauce in a blender and puree. If you're using store bought pesto, make sure it is at room temperature. If it has been refrigerated, heat it up for thirty seconds or so in your microwave.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a grill pan until very hot.
Half the tomatoes lengthwise and brush the opened sides with olive oil. Place the tomatoes, cut side down on the hot grill pan for one minute to pick up grill marks and a little char. Remove the tomatoes to a shallow roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven for eight minutes.
Remove from the oven and crumble the goat cheese over the tomatoes. Return them to the oven until the cheese browns, about two minutes more.
Remove from the oven and cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, then drizzle the pesto sauce over all. Serve while still warm.
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