Roasted Tomatoes

Roasting tomatoes is one of the best ways to eat them. Because it concentrates their flavors and makes even a just-okay tomato taste like an amazing tomato, it’s a great way to enjoy tomatoes any time of year—not just in high summer!

We love making roasted cherry tomatoes, but you can use this method with any tomato you like!

We’re Roasting Tons of Tomatoes Right Now

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year (all that early summer care and pruning paid off), and a particularly exceptional crop of cherry tomatoes. Fallen tomatoes from last year self-seeded in the garden, and I just let them grow!

Long story short, we seem to be filling our kitchen island with a harvest every week.

While we have been enjoying our big beefsteak tomatoes raw in tomato sandwichesour glut of cherry tomatoes have been shared amongst family, made into sauces for pasta, chicken, and fish, tossed into salads, frozen, and roasted. (See our post on how we freeze tomatoes.)

At this point, our freezer is getting a bit full with bags of tomatoes, so I have been roasting a large share of them lately. One sheet pan of roasted tomatoes, olive oil, and a loaf of sourdough bread? The family descends on the kitchen, and it always disappears within 10 minutes.

Sheet pan of oven roasted tomatoes — Roasted Tomatoes 47

This is one of those timeless recipes that never gets old. I’ve made it so often, I seem to be on autopilot. It’s a recipe that doesn’t feel like a recipe, and I haven’t written it down…until now!

Why Roasted Tomatoes?

Oven roasted tomatoes are one of my favorite late summer foods. Flavors intensify in the oven, and going the extra mile—with some garlic, shallots, and balsamic vinegar in addition to the usual olive oil, salt and pepper—makes for a winning combination.

Tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper for roasting — Roasted Tomatoes 48

Roasted Tomatoes on toasted bread — Roasted Tomatoes 48

Here’s a quick summary of why you should roast tomatoes:

Summer Pasta Recipe - Cherry Tomato Puttanesca — Roasted Tomatoes 50

pulling up a forkful of pasta alla norma — Roasted Tomatoes 50

Enjoy tomatoes when they’re not in season: While you can get tomatoes year round, they’re not at their best outside of summer. That said, roasting can make even a mediocre tomato taste almost like a summer tomato!
Use tomatoes past their prime: If you bought some cherry or grape tomatoes for salads, and they ended up getting a bit soft or squishy—not great for eating raw—roast them! This not only reduces food waste, it will have you enjoying a delicious treat.
Get an antioxidant boost: Have you heard of lycopene, the antioxidant in tomatoes? Cooking them—and more specifically, cooking tomatoes with olive oil—increases the body’s absorption of lycopene. What a great healthy bonus!
They are simply delicious: I could just stand at the counter with a pan of these tomatoes and some bread, and I’m all set for the evening.

Which Tomatoes Are Best for Roasting?

Cherry tomatoes are our top choice for roasting, because they are easy to grow and really sweet. They caramelize well, and we usually have an abundance during the late summer months. Outside of tomato season and in grocery stores in general, cherry and grape tomatoes also taste better than larger tomatoes.

Aside from cherry tomatoes, we have also found that medium-sized tomatoes (like the “tomatoes on the vine” you usually see at the supermarket), campari, and plum tomatoes are great for roasting.

At the end of the day, you can really roast any tomato you like, as long as it is ripe. Whatever variety you use, it will be delicious.

Just keep in mind that some tomatoes have more moisture and liquid than others, requiring more time in the oven.

With small to medium tomatoes, such as cherry, campari, or plum tomatoes, cut them in half. Any larger than that, and you may want to cut them into quarters or sixths.

How to Use Roasted Tomatoes

These roasted tomatoes are incredibly versatile! Here are some ideas to use them:

Make sauce: Mix a pan of these roasted tomatoes with a couple tablespoons of tomato paste fried in olive oil, and you’ll have a delicious replacement for tomato sauce in any recipe. The tomato paste gives the sauce more body, making it more sauce-like.
Use as a topping for fish: Spoon these roasted tomatoes as is, over the top of pan-fried or baked salmon, cod, or any other delicate white fish. You’ll have an elegant, healthy, and easy dinner!
Toss with pasta: Just toss the tomatoes with any pasta, a bit of the pasta cooking water, and fresh basil. They’re also great in cold pasta salads or with spaghetti squash if you’re going low carb.
Serve with eggs: Eggs and tomatoes just go together! (See our Tomato Egg Stir-fry.) Serve these roasted tomatoes with a sunny-side up egg for breakfast or an anytime quick meal.
Make tomato soup: Blend them up with a touch of cream to make an intense roasted tomato soup (perhaps with a grilled cheese!).
Use on pizza: want to up the flavor on your homemade pizza? Sprinkle on these roasted tomatoes!
Serve as a side dish: Just serve a bowl of roasted tomatoes as a delicious side dish for chicken, fish, or beef!
Serve with bread: My personal favorite way to enjoy them. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and add a couple slices of crusty bread. Toast the bread in the olive oil until golden on both sides, and top with tomatoes. You can also make crostini with small slices of baguette brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven, and top with these tomatoes for an elegant and delicious appetizer! Combine with cheese to make a rocking tomato grilled cheese sandwich.
Freeze them: While we freeze tomatoes raw for versatility, freezing them after roasting saves freezer space and allows you to quickly whip up a sauce or pasta anytime you like.

Storage tips!

You can store roasted tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze them at best quality for up to 3 months.

How to Roast Tomatoes

We use a half sheet pan without any liner like foil or parchment paper. You don’t really need it, and the direct contact with the hot sheet pan will caramelize the tomatoes better. Foil can also react with the acid in the tomatoes, imparting a faintly metallic taste if you leave them in the pan too long.

We roast at 375°F/190°C (without fan/convection) for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how you like them.

There is no need to disturb the tomatoes or stir them, but do check the amount of liquid in the pa every 5 minutes after the 30 minute mark. With the sugars in the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, they can go from perfectly roasted to scorched in the final stages of cooking.

The tomatoes are done when they are wrinkly, caramelized, and the liquid in the pan has reduced and thickened (but not completely dried out).

You’ll be hit with a steamy, dreamy aroma of roasting tomatoes as you open the oven!

Oven Roasted Tomatoes Recipe Instructions

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F/190°C.

Cut the tomatoes in half for quicker roasting and more caramelization. If using small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, you can leave them whole. If using any tomato larger then a plum tomato, cut them into quarters or large wedges.

Tomato halves on sheet pan with two pinch bowls of chopped shallot and chopped garlic — Roasted Tomatoes 54

Transfer the tomatoes to an un-lined sheet pan, along with the garlic, shallot, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

tomato halves on sheet pan with garlic, shallot, balsamic — Roasted Tomatoes 55

Tomatoes on sheet pan with seasonings, ready for oven roasting — Roasted Tomatoes 56

Toss with your hands until well-combined, and spread the tomatoes out into a single layer.

seasoned halved cherry tomatoes on sheet pan for roasting — Roasted Tomatoes 57

Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes, and check their progress. Continue roasting for another 5-15 minutes, checking on them every 5 minutes until they are wrinkly, caramelized, and the juices have reduced to a sauce consistency.

Oven roasted cherry tomatoes on sheet pan — Roasted Tomatoes 58

If the edges are burning, turn off the heat, tilt the pan so any remain liquid flows to the corners to naturally deglaze the pan. If the liquid does not flow, then your tomatoes are probably done.

Tip!

If making sauce, deglaze your roasting pan with ¼ cup of water to get all that flavor out. Or scrape it up with some bread!

Enjoy!