Give Your Next Tomato Sandwich A Fancy Touch With One Vibrant Ingredient

Refreshing and summery, a tomato sandwich is the perfect picnic provision. Typically fashioned with just a few basic ingredients – tomato, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper — this no-frills sandwich is as simple as it is satisfying. Although its barebones bravado is essential to its novelty, there are no rules against jazzing up a tomato sandwich. Enter pesto, the garden-fresh spread that gives tomato sandwiches a snappy upgrade.

Pesto is a pulverized blend of fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese, though variations exist. With its full-bodied flavor and herb-forward aroma, this Italian condiment is an easy way to add a vibrant punch to the already bright taste of a tomato sandwich. At once savory, peppery, and nutty, the upbeat flavor of pesto adds depth to the one-dimensional richness of mayo while mingling with the nuanced features of tomato, including notes of umami-tinted sweetness.

Not only does pesto transform the flavor of a tomato sandwich, but it's also easy to introduce to the dish. Spread a generous dollop of pesto across two slices of bread along with mayonnaise and your choice of tomatoes — et voilà – the best tomato sandwich of your life.

A jar of traditional pesto is enough to upgrade your average tomato sandwich. However, pesto comes in many shades of flavor. If the classic prototype doesn't speak to your senses, introduce an alternative iteration to your tomato sandwich.

For total tomato inception, add sun-dried tomato-basil pesto to the sandwich, whose concentrated sun-shining sweetness will bolster that magnificent 'mater taste while maintaining some of the key elements of traditional pesto. Add a punch of protein and crunchy a bite to a tender tomato sandwich by smothering it with bacon-studded pesto, which provides it with a smoldering savory goodness that complements its earthy, garden-esque flavors. Give the sandwich a salty edge by using olive-infused pesto or introduce a meaty taste sans animal ingredients with mushroom pesto.

If you're feeling adventurous, a Thai pesto with ginger and chili crisp will bring fire to the sandwich's profile. For a Mexican-inspired taste, opt for a pesto fashioned with jalapeños and cilantro for a zippy, spicy zing. Bear in mind that you might have to prepare some specialty pestos from home, as more creative takes on the original recipe may be unavailable in stores. However you get your hands on it, once you try a pesto-kissed tomato sandwich, you'll never look at a regular one the same way again. And if pesto doesn't strike your fancy, try a curry powder-dusted tomato sandwich instead.