Summer Sweet Potatoes With Tomatoes Mozzarella Pesto (Print version)

Roasted sweet potatoes topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil pesto for a colorful Mediterranean-inspired meal.

# What goes in:

→ 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, 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

# Cooking steps:

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.
03 - Roast for 30 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized.
04 - 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.
05 - Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Flip them cut-side up.
06 - Top each sweet potato half with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, just until the cheese softens.
07 - Remove from oven, drizzle generously with fresh pesto, and garnish with basil leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Tips from flavorandfeast:

01 -
  • The way the sweetness of roasted potatoes plays with the salty mozzarella and bright pesto creates that perfect balance we're all chasing in summer cooking
  • It looks like you spent way more effort than you actually did, making it ideal for last minute dinner guests
02 -
  • Sweet potato size varies wildly—if you get enormous ones, they'll take longer to cook, so maybe cut them into quarters instead of halves
  • The pesto can turn brown if you make it too far ahead, but a squeeze of lemon juice helps preserve that bright green color
03 -
  • Room temperature mozzarella melts more evenly than cold straight from the fridge, so take it out while the potatoes roast
  • Season each component as you go—the potatoes get salt and pepper, the pesto gets adjusted, and maybe a final flaky salt on top at the end

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