Name: Fried Tomatoes with Pesto Crema
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 large tomatoes ((Heirloom or Beefsteak)); 1 cup all purpose flour; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; Canola oil, (for frying); 1 cup prepared pesto; 1/3 cup heavy cream

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Pan fried Heirloom tomatoes breaded in Italian breadcrumb and seasonings; then topped with a fresh basil pesto crema.

One of the most favorited recipes is for Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with an Avocado Dipping Sauce. It's delicious if you haven't tried it yet!

Since it's so popular, I decided to experiment with regular tomatoes, now that they're in season, and came up with these Fried Tomatoes with Pesto Crema.

We don't eat fried foods very often, so these were definitely a special treat!

What is crema?

Crema in this case is a cream sauce made by combining fresh basil pesto and heavy cream. It's delicious and can be used in other recipes like pasta or to top grilled chicken or seafood.

How do you make pesto Crema?

Pesto is made by pulsing fresh basil, garlic, grated cheese and EVOO in a mini food processor until smooth. It's usually also has pine nuts, but due to their cost I omit them most of the time and you still get a similar flavor.

Make the pesto, add to a small saucepan; then add heavy cream. Whisk together over low heat until smooth and warm; approximately 2 minutes. You can also heat the two up in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 30 seconds.

How do you make Fried Tomatoes?

For this recipe you'll need either Heirloom or Beefsteak tomatoes, all purpose flour, eggs, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, dried oregano and oil for frying.

I like to use Canola oil, but any light oil will work fine. You just want enough to fry the tomatoes, not submerge them so approximately ½ cup should be fine.

Slice the tomatoes into ½-inch thick slices on a cutting board. You should get 3-4 slices per tomato. Prepare three separate bowls: flour, whisked eggs; then combine the breadcrumbs and oregano in the last bowl.

First dip the tomato into the flour; then egg and breadcrumb mixture and place on a dish. Repeat for all tomato slices.

Next, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. The oil is ready to fry when you can place a sprinkle of water in it and it pops.

Add the breaded tomato slices to the pan and fry on each side until golden brown; approximately 1-2 minutes per side.

How do you serve?

To serve, you can either place the tomatoes on individual serving plates or on a large serving platter; then drizzle the warmed pesto crema on top and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

These would make a tasty appetizer or served as a side dish with Tuscan-Style Grilled Rib Eye Steak.

The warm tomatoes with a crunchy crust dipped into the pesto crema were out of this world delicious. Why does everything that taste so good have to be so unhealthy? ~Enjoy!

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More Pesto Recipes

If you love pesto, you'll want to try these recipes too...

Meatballs with Pesto
Stuffed Pesto Chicken
Stuffed Shells with Pesto and Tomato Beef Sauce
Shrimp with Mushrooms
or check out this post for 13 Recipes You Can Make with Pesto!

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