Chris Aquilino
Senior Director of Culinary Development
Elior North America

Tomato Leaf Pesto, California Burrata & Roasted Tomato Toast

Recipe courtesy of Chris Aquilino
Sponsor: California Milk Advisory Board

Servings: 24

Ingredients

Tomato Leaf Pesto (Yield 5 cups):

• 3 c tomato leaves, washed
• 2 c fresh basil leaves and stems
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 c shredded Real California Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c pine nuts, toasted
• 2 c olive oil

Burrata:

• 24 oz Real California Burrata cheese

Roasted Grape Tomatoes:

• 4 qts grape tomatoes
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
• Salt and pepper, as needed

Micro Arugula:

• 1 qt micro arugula
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt

Plating:

• 3 large loaves freshly baked ciabatta or focaccia, thickly sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, torn
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly cracked pepper

Directions

Tomato Leaf Pesto:

1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor except for the oil.
2. Pulse the ingredients to start to break them up and begin to stream in the olive oil. Continue to process until smooth. Set aside.

Burrata:

1. Divide the burrata into 24 1-oz balls.
2. Using a food injector syringe, inject 1.5 oz of the tomato leaf pesto into each of the 24 burrata balls.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes:

1. In a heavy-bottomed pan or roasting pan, add the tomatoes, oil, soy sauce and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are browned and beginning to become tender.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Micro Arugula:

1. Toss the arugula, lemon juice, oil and salt in a bowl until well incorporated. Set aside.

Plating:

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and drizzle a small amount of oil into the pan. Add 1 piece of sliced bread and allow to brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Place the toast onto the center of a plate and drizzle with 2 Tbsp Tomato Leaf Pesto.
3. Add 1/4 -1/2 c Roasted Grape Tomatoes (depending on the width of the bread).
4. Slice 1 piece of Burrata in half and put the cheese over top of the tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle a small amount of Micro Arugula over the top, and add some torn basil leaves as desired.
6. Garnish with oil and freshly cracked pepper.

Chef Notes

I prefer pure olive oil for the pesto instead of extra virgin as it can sometimes be bitter tasting in recipes.

Project Management: Summit F&B
Photography: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley