Food Styling by Jamie Kimm

While reducing the oil in pesto to only a single tablespoon, I’ve based this easy recipe on a classic southern French way to cook tomatoes. For the best flavor, I recommend making it in summer, when you can get good, delicious, sun-ripened tomatoes. 

Wolfgang’s Tips: Yes, more than a third of the calories per serving—43.2%, to be exact—come from fat. But virtually all of that comes from the light pesto’s olive oil, a healthy fat. 

Recipes excerpted from the book Wolfgang Puck Makes It Healthy. Copyright 2014 by Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Inc. Reprinted with permission from Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved. Some recipes adapted by M&F. 

SEE ALSO: Wolfgang Puck Recipe Series: Beef Salad

Ingredients

  • Light Pesto: 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • Light Pesto: 2 medium garlic cloves
  • Light Pesto: 1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Light Pesto: 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • Light Pesto: Kosher salt
  • Light Pesto: Freshly grounded black pepper
  • Tomatoes: 4 ripe but firm medium sun-ripened tomatoes
  • Tomatoes: Kosher salt
  • Tomatoes: Freshly ground black pepper
  • Tomatoes: 1/4 cup fresh whole-wheat or multigrain bread crumbs
  • Tomatoes: 1/4 cup Light Pesto, plus more as needed for serving

Directions

  1. For Presto: Put all basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp cold water in a mini food processor, mini blender, or in the blending cup of an immersion blender. Process until smooth. Pulse in salt and pepper to taste.
  2. For Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  3. For Tomatoes: Halve tomatoes horizontally. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, cut out the core at the stem end of each tomato. Place tomatoes cut side up in a baking dish. Season their cut surfaces well with salt and pepper.
  4. For Tomatoes: In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs and Light Pesto. Place a spoonful of the mixture on top of each tomato half, distributing it evenly. With the back of a spoon, gently spread mixture over the cut surface of each half.
  5. For Tomatoes: Roast until tomatoes are hot and bread crumb topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  6. For Tomatoes: Serve hot, lukewarm, or at room temperature. If you like, drizzle a little extra Light Pesto over tomato halves.
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