Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
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Roasted cherry tomatoes transforms ordinary tomatoes into a flavorful condiment for pasta sauce, pizza, sandwiches and more!
Roasting cherry tomatoes is one of the least complicated ways to enjoy them — these sweet, silky little nuggets add something special to just about anything you put them in or on — I add them to peak-of-summer recipes like tomato panzanella salad or easy chicken bruschetta. Keep a container on hand at all times, and your simplest meals will pop with flavor!
As the tomatoes take a warm, slow bath in olive oil, their natural sugars become concentrated. It’s the best way to turn out-of-season or simply “meh” tomatoes into tasty jewels!
Another bonus from making these tomatoes is that your kitchen will smell like an Italian grandma’s tomato pasta sauce does on a Sunday afternoon — to me, that aroma means nourishment and comfort.
Recipe steps
- Slow roasting vs high heat roasting: Rather than roasting cherry tomatoes quickly at high heat (like my favorite blistered cherry tomato sauce), baking them for hours at lower heat in the oven draws out their juices and evaporates them, which concentrates their flavor. This makes the tomatoes intensely sweet.
Layer sliced cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Bake at 275F 2-3 hours, until they’re very soft and shriveled.
Ideas for roasted cherry tomatoes:
- Stir in a clove of finely chopped or grated garlic when the tomatoes come out of the oven.
- Add chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano or basil when they’re finished roasting.
- Make a chunky pizza sauce/salsa: Roughly chop the tomatoes and mix with a dash of vinegar or fresh citrus juice, crushed garlic and some fresh chopped basil or cilantro.
- Puree the tomatoes in a blender to make a roasted tomato sauce.
- Layer the tomatoes on good bread with some fresh mozzarella, mayo and crisp bacon, then toast on a griddle.
- Add slow-roasted tomatoes to a sandwich.
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound (900 g) cherry tomatoes, or small tomatoes, such as Campari
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 275 degrees.
- Slice the tomatoes in half. Put them in a baking dish and pour over the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and toss together gently.
- Roast 2-3 hours, until the tomatoes become shriveled, lightly caramelized and their juices have collected in the dish.
- Use right away, or cover and refrigerate up to a week.
Notes
- This recipe is easily multiplied if you have a bigger batch of tomatoes to preserve. Be sure to use a baking dish or baking sheet large enough to fit them in one layer (or use multiple).
- Add a small pinch of sugar if your tomatoes taste acidic.
- For more flavor, stir in a clove of finely chopped or grated garlic when the tomatoes come out of the oven and stir in some chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano or basil.
- Storage: If you don’t use them up within a day, keep the tomatoes in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the tomatoes before storing to help keep them fresher. The tomatoes can be frozen for 1 month. Make sure to package them in an airtight container before freezing.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
I give this recipe a 5 ! It was so easy to make and delicious. I am making another batch now. Yummy!
These tomatoes look so pretty and delicious! I love roasted tomatoes!
Nothing tastes much better than roasted tomatoes. Fun finding your blog from Alanna, and I’m looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks. I just put you in my feed reader so I can keep up on what you’re cooking in the meantime.
Karen, you could also use them in salsa. The original recipe for this one was in Chow Mag a few years ago. I’ve played with it a little. It has an interesting flavor and texture.
Salsa
5-10 roasted tomatoes
5-10 (depending on how spicy) arbol chile peppers, stems and seeds removed
2 teaspoons ancho powder (1 ancho pepper, stemmed and ground in coffee grinder makes about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 rounded teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (ground up)
1/3 cup cilantro, trimmed and chopped
3/4 cup chopped onion
1) Place tomatoes, arbol chiles, ancho powder, water, sugar, salt and cumin in a large stainless steel or non-aluminum pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2)Add vinegar and ground up pumpkin seeds. Heat for another minute or so.
3) Puree in a blender — I use an immersion and do it right in the pot.
3) Remove from heat and stir in onions and cilantro. Let cool completely — chill until ready to use.
Oh, yum. Why, oh why have I never roasted tomatoes? (Don’t answer that!) My mother was Italian, and a great cook, but I never saw her roast any tomatoes, unfortunately. I am definitely going to do it before the summer’s out. Your pasta looks just divine, too. Thanks for the inspiration.
I usually find the Andy Boy brand (my favorite) at Whole Foods, and sometimes at Dierberg’s on Eager Rd.
Fun, as always. Where are you finding rapini these days?