Destiny is the right fry pan
Destiny is what you make it but in the case of tomato pesto, I think destiny is the right fry pan.
I don’t know any other way to explain that a 15" cast iron pan can take full heat and deliver it to one gallon of tomato puree along with 2 minced onions, 3 tablespoons of crushed garlic, and various seasonings without burning or boiling over. Thirty minutes later the heat is cut back to half and a little stirring and that same pan take no mind to being ignored for a quarter hour more. It is only in the final fifteen minutes that it expects any attention of consequence. After just an hour, the pan gives up one quart of the most amazing tomato pesto with layer upon layer of flavor.
This pesto is a versitile paste that can be go solo or ride shotgun. It can be combined with some fresh cilantro and diced tomatoes to offer up a killer salsa. Added to a can of crushed tomatoes and the resulting pasta sauce stands proud on any country table in Tuscany. The thought of using a spoonful in a Bloody Mary on a bright Sunday morning gives me goose bumps.
So, how it possible that such a pan, in a kitchen, next to acres and acres of free tomatoes can be interpreted as anything other than destiny?
Most of us grew up with very old cast iron skillets – usually at grandma’s house, but sometimes at home. All the modern wonders of aluminum-copper composites, Teflon coatings, special surfaces, handles, textures and finishes can’t compare to the good old standard cast iron pan that’s been frying, searing, simmering and boiling things for decades.
I was luck that one of my house warming gifts was a very well used #4 cast iron pan (aka the small one used for breakfast eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches). It is VERY we seasoned. It really will be a decade before my new cast iron will be as good as that #4. Cast iron is probably the only cooking tool that gets better with age. All the new fangled stuff just gets old !
You are right about many modern pans. Many are alumimum (coated or not – and how long do those modern coatings last,really? ) Cooking tomatoes in aluminum would DEFINITELY not give you same taste as cooking in that cast iron pan. Both Aluminum and Iron are reactive metals that will give up some of themselves when exposed to acid. A little iron might be good for you (and apparently tastes good) – plus the seasoned coating on an old iron pan provides some resistance. We don’t have much need for more aluminum – nor does it enhance the taste of much of anything. Yucky. However, tomatoes cooked too long in cast iron can remove some of the coating on your pan and even pit the pan and that can be a bummer. I am a fan of heavy stainless or enamel coated cast iron for acid foods. Probably because I am bad about washing the pan out right away. Tomatos sitting overnight in my cast iron wouldn’t be good.
I am going to take issue with your use of the term Pesto for your yummy sounding tomato conncocation. Pesto is traditionally used for UNCOOKED sauced made by pulverizing the ingredients into a paste or sauce. (Pesto – pestle ).
On the subject of tomatoes and cast iron, I figure over a few decades of use, pitting or no pitting, it will all even out. As for “tomato pesto”. I use that term for a couple of reasons. First, the consistency of my results is nearly duplicate of what you correctly note as ‘pesto”. Second, given that I have cooked the whole tomato down to a paste – skins and all – the result is nearly duplicate to me having dried the tomatoes and then made the paste with no or little actually cooking. So, while I do “cook” the tomatoes, the sole purpose is to eliminate water in the same way as the much longer and laborious task of first making sun dried tomatoes only to then smash them inot paste.