Top | Tacos
Roasted Tomatoes and Pumpkin Seed Pesto Tacos
(recipe, Mark Miller)
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Introduction
This recipe is really all about the tomatoes. For the best results, make these tacos in summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest and seasonal best. Thicker-fleshed varieties, like Romas, work better for this filling, as they give off less juice and cook down to a firmer consistency. After roasting, the tomato slices turn soft and crinkly.
Thin shavings of buttery, piquant Spanish Manchego cheese make a wonderful addition, as do leaves of peppery arugula or sprigs of cilantro. Pumpkin seeds are available toasted, which deepens their flavor, or you can easily toast them yourself in a hot, dry skillet.
These tacos can easily be served in place of a salad course for a dinner party. The pesto will hold for one week in the refrigerator and shines with pastas, seafood, or meat dishes. For a quick version, substitute about four ounces purchased roasted tomatoes, stocked at specialty markets. Look for them in bulk where olives are sold, packed with herbs and a bit of oil.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. small Roma tomatoes, cored
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. sugar
- 6 poblano chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded
- ¾ cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
- ¾ tsp. green chile powder
- 2 tsp. lemon-infused olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 cup loosely packed, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 8 (5½-inch) soft yellow corn tortillas
- Chopped fresh basil or mint leaves, for garnish
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Halve the tomatoes across their midsections and gently squeeze the halves to release seeds and excess juice (the tomatoes will cook faster). Slice the tomatoes thinly. In a bowl, toss the slices with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the sugar. Spread the slices in a single layer (so the tomatoes are evenly exposed to the heat) on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for at least 2 hours, or until the tomatoes are about three-fourths dehydrated and the flesh is the consistency of a roasted bell pepper (they’ll resemble soft sundried tomatoes). The slices will shrink by about half during roasting; no need to turn them. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down to room temperature.
- Cut the prepared poblano chiles into ¼-inch-thick strips and set aside.
- In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the pumpkin seeds, chile powder, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt. Process to the consistency of ground almond butter (a little rougher than peanut butter) or as you prefer.
- To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the pesto equally between the tortillas and top with roasted tomato slices, chile strips, salsa, and basil. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some pesto, top with tomato slices, chile strips, salsa, and basil, and eat right away.