I had leftover pesto in my refrigerator and decided to use it to bring more flavor to otherwise bland ground turkey.

Two Pounds Of Ground Turkey
A Roma Tomato
A Minced Garlic Clove
Twenty Fresh Basil Leaves
2 1/2 Teaspoons And A Pinch Of Sea Salt, Divided
½ Teaspoon And A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper, Divided
A Tablespoon And A Teaspoon Of Olive Oil, Divided
1/3 Cup Of Panko Bread Crumbs
A Beaten Egg
A Teaspoon Of Garlic Powder
A Teaspoon Of Onion Powder
A Tablespoon Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Teaspoon Of Red Cayenne Pepper

To Make The Pesto

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the Roma tomato in half lengthwise. Brush the tomato halves with a teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the tomato halves with a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Place the tomato halves on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Combine the roasted tomato halves (with the pan juices), the basil leaves, the garlic clove, ½ teaspoon of sea salt, a ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add more sea salt and/or black pepper, if desired.

To Make The Burgers

Combine the ground turkey, the pesto, two teaspoons of sea salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the grated cheese, the bread crumbs, the red cayenne pepper, and the beaten egg in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Form the meat mixture into six equal patties.

Cook the patties on a hot gas or charcoal grill for 10-12 minutes until the juices run clear turning only once.