I adore pesto sauce. Whether tossed with warm al dente pasta, spread on a toasted baguette, served with a colorful plate of crudites–any which way the mixture of the fresh basil, buttery nuts, fruity olive oil and salty cheese is pure decadence. For this dish, I decided to spread homemade pesto sauce on a pork tenderloin before baking it. A simple weeknight dinner that I like serving with roasted tomatoes flavored with a touch of fresh rosemary.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Pesto Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
- (1) pork tenderloin
- salt and pepper
- For the pesto:
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Water, if needed
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Season the pork tenderloin with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper.
- Puree the pesto ingredients together until smooth. Add in as water as you need to achieve the desired consistency. (You will most likely have extra pesto sauce, depending on how large the tenderloin is*)
- Spread the pesto on the top and sides of the pork tenderloin. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Tagged: baked pork tenderloin, basil, basil pesto sauce, basil-walnut pesto, pecorino cheese, pesto sauce, pork, pork tenderloin, walnuts
Leave a Reply