Pesto Pull-Apart Party Bread

Recipe from Cristen Clark, Food & Swine

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 loaf of sturdy artisan-style bread
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 cup basil pesto
• 1½ cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese or shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small skillet over medium heat add olive oil, cherry tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Stir mixture in skillet and cook until tomatoes are nicely roasted, their size reduced by a third. Add garlic and cook until golden and fragrant. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

On a cutting board, make diagonal crosshatch cuts into the loaf of bread, halfway through the top of the loaf. Move the loaf to a baking sheet lined with foil. Pour melted butter and basil pesto in between all cuts. Stuff the shredded cheese and tomato mixture into the cuts of the bread as well.

Wrap the stuffed loaf in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Open the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the top is melted and golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm with extra pesto or marinara on the side for dipping.