Summer Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Mozzarella (Print Version)

Roasted sweet potato halves topped with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil pesto. A colorful Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian dish ready in 50 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
02 - 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

→ Dairy

04 - 7 oz mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), drained and halved

→ Pesto

05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
06 - ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
07 - 1 garlic clove
08 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
10 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Olive Oil & Seasoning

11 - 2 tbsp olive oil (for roasting)
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Brush sweet potato halves with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the tray. Roast for 30 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized.
03 - In a food processor, blend basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Flip them cut-side up.
05 - Top each sweet potato half with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, just until the cheese softens.
06 - Remove from oven, drizzle generously with fresh pesto, and garnish with basil leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The natural sweetness of roasted potatoes meets bright summer tomatoes in a way that just works
  • Fresh pesto ties everything together into something that feels fancy but comes together quickly
02 -
  • Sweet potato thickness affects roasting time, so check for tenderness with a fork rather than watching the clock
  • Homemade pesto tastes significantly better than store-bought and takes minutes to make
03 -
  • Cut your sweet potatoes evenly so they finish roasting at the same time
  • Let the pesto come to room temperature before drizzling so it pours easily

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