Tomato Pesto

Tomatoes Bring Summer to Your Jar and Your Table

Königskind Tomato Pesto with black walnuts is a summery, fruity pesto made from ripe tomatoes, authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, and the legendary black walnuts from our own manufactory – handmade by Uwe König in his small gourmet manufactory in Oberbergisch. A multi-layered accompaniment for pasta, mozzarella, and warm white bread, with the fine spice of black walnuts.

The Tomato Pesto with black walnuts from Königskind is a summery, fruity, and finely spiced pesto from the Oberbergisch region. Only a few, select ingredients go into the jar – sun-ripened tomatoes, black walnuts from Königskind's own production, sunflower oil, authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, tomato paste for concentrated depth, a splash of lemon juice, chili, salt, and fine spices – without artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or flavor enhancers. Uwe König processes the tomatoes fresh and refines the pesto with his homemade black walnuts, which have matured for months.

Deeply fruity, full-bodied, with a finely spiced chili-nut note

Once opened, the full summer scent of tomatoes rises – warm, juicy, slightly caramel-like, accompanied by the deep, spicy note of black walnuts with their vanilla-cinnamon infusion and a fine hint of chili spice. The color is a luminous, deep red with dark specks of nuts, visually making the pesto a delicate work of art. The consistency is creamy-velvety with visible fruit pieces and fine nut pieces that give the pesto a smooth texture.

On the tongue, the pesto begins with the full sweetness and fruitiness of the tomatoes, then comes the black walnut with its finely spiced, almost vanilla-cinnamon depth – characterized by the long infusion with cloves and cinnamon. Parmigiano Reggiano contributes its salty, umami spice, tomato paste its concentrated depth, a splash of lemon elevates the whole to a harmonious unit, and chili adds a fine, spicy accent to the finish. A full-bodied, balanced pesto that combines summery tomato freshness with the distinctive depth of a Königskind signature ingredient.

Our recommendation for pasta, mozzarella, and warm white bread

The Tomato Pesto is a versatile summer companion. Best served classically with pasta: stir 3 tablespoons of pesto into warm linguine or spaghettoni, add some pasta water to make the sauce silky, top with some shaved Parmigiano and a few basil leaves, and a summer dish is ready in 10 minutes. The pesto also works well with orecchiette with 50g of fried bacon or in a cold pasta salad bowl.

We also like it with fresh Mozzarella di Bufala: a thick slice of buffalo mozzarella on the plate, a generous spoonful of tomato pesto on top, a few basil leaves, a splash of good olive oil – and an appetizer that will surprise more than just the host is ready. On a warm slice of toasted white bread as bruschetta, on a crostino with goat cream cheese, with warm boiled potatoes, or as a dip for raw vegetables on a summer evening – the pesto fits wherever tomatoes are welcome.

We also love to use it with grilled fish and light meat dishes: with a piece of baked salmon fillet, with a Mediterranean pan-fried chicken breast, or with grilled halloumi and arugula. The special feature is the black walnuts – they give the pesto a depth that you won't find in classic tomato pestos. Other seasonal pestos: the spring-fresh Wild Garlic Pesto, the autumn-rich Porcini Mushroom Pesto, and the winter-warm Kale Pesto. You can find all of them in our Königskind collection.

Königskind Manufactory with Homemade Black Walnuts

The Königskind gourmet manufactory is the family-run passion project of Uwe König and his wife Sabine. What began as a hobby in their home kitchen in 2005, the couple expanded into a full-time business in 2014 due to growing demand for their pestos, chutneys, and fruit spreads. To this day, all Königskind products are cooked in the idyllic kitchen under the goat bush in Wiehl – all by hand, in manageable quantities, with the care that only a traditional, small family manufactory can provide.

A special Königskind signature is the black walnuts, which Uwe König produces himself: still green, unripe walnuts are harvested in early summer, prepared for several weeks, and then slowly cooked with sugar, cloves, vanilla pods, cinnamon, and limes. They then mature for at least 6 months in screw-top jars until they have developed their deep, spicy aroma. With a proud 21% black walnuts in the jar, the Tomato Pesto gives this Königskind signature the space it deserves – an ingredient that no other manufacturer uses in this form and quantity.

The Tomato Pesto is part of the Königskind seasonal line: alongside the spring-fresh Wild Garlic Pesto, the autumn-rich Porcini Mushroom Pesto, and the winter-warm Kale Pesto, it completes the year-round pesto assortment.