20-Minute Pesto Pork Chops Recipe With Italian Blistered Tomatoes by Donna John

Thin-cut pork chops are one of my favorite things to cook and to eat. They are super quick to cook, so flavorful and versatile. I've made tandoori pork chops, crunchy pork chops, Italian pan-fried pork chops, crunchy pork chops with Italian tomato sauce, ranch pork chops and crispy sweet-and-sour pork chops, to name just a few. Needing to use some jarred pesto in the refrigerator, I came up with this tasty pesto pork chop recipe with quick blistered tomatoes. Another successful 20-minute dinner.

Thin-cut pork chops are coated in pesto and soak it up while you make the blistered tomatoes. The blistered tomatoes are so simple! Heat up a little olive oil in a skillet and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, until they soften and start to get browned a bit. At the last minute, throw in some fresh chopped garlic and season with salt and pepper. The garlic is added during the last seconds of cooking so it doesn't burn. The pork chops can be grilled or cooked in a skillet. I cooked mine on the grill. To cook them in a pan, add them to the hot skillet and cook until cooked through. Sprinkle with some Parmesan right at the end of cooking so it can melt.

To serve, put the pork chops on a plate and top with a little more pesto, if desired (you should have some left in the jar), and blistered tomatoes. This is a delicious and quick dinner that gets you out of the kitchen fast. Serve with your favorite side dishes. If you have homemade pesto, use that instead of jarred pesto.

Cuisine: American / Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 thin-cut bone-in pork chops (or your favorite pork chops)
• 1 jar (6 ounces) basil pesto (or homemade pesto)
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Blistered Tomatoes

• grape or cherry tomatoes
• fresh chopped garlic, to taste
• olive oil 

Here's how to make it:

1. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat both sides with pesto. Let the pork chops sit while you make the blistered tomatoes.
   
2. To make the blistered tomatoes, heat some olive oil in a skillet. Add desired amount of tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they soften and begin to brown slightly (they may start to burst open). Add the garlic and cook about 30 more seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat off and set aside.
   
3. To cook the pork chops, heat a grill over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chops. During the last minute of cooking, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese.
   
4. Remove the chops to a plate.
   
5. To serve, top the pork chops with the blistered tomatoes and more pesto, if desired.
   

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