These oven roasted tomatoes are simple and delicious. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
My daughter loves tomatoes. She’s the one who will pick up a full size tomato and eat it like an apple.
Obviously, I love to encourage this, and I love tomatoes, too. I pick up a pint or two of grape tomatoes pretty much every time I go to the grocery store.
Usually I have to remind her to wash them and to not eat the entire pint in one sitting. And then sometimes, she’s “off” tomatoes and they sit there.
As soon as she decides they’re at all “smushy” she won’t eat them. None of them.
I have throwing away food, so I started taking the tomatoes she rejects and making Italian oven roasted tomatoes. They don’t get wasted anymore!
Suddenly, they’re delicious again, and she eats them like candy. The slow roasting in the oven concentrates the tomato flavor, and they develop a chewy texture.
We enjoy these by themselves by the handful, but they taste great tossed in pasta with a little oil and freshly grated Parmesan.
And remember those little lasagna pizzas I made with the leftover filling from my easy cheesy stuffed shells? These make the perfect appetizer to go with them on crostini with some more ricotta and a touch of salt. Drizzle those with olive oil and watch them disappear.
It takes some time to roast them, but it’s nothing you need to fuss with or babysit, so it’s perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon. Pop them in the oven and clean or – my favorite – watch some football.
With the little grape tomatoes, these take about two and a half hours or so to roast. Cherry tomatoes take about three hours, and Roma tomatoes take four hours. Feel free to use whichever you have on hand.
You don’t need to seed your tomatoes, just slice them in half to help them dehydrate, and you’re set. Who knew you were such a fancy chef?
How to Make Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Start by preheating your oven to 225 degrees. You want to cook this low and slow.
Wash tomatoes. You don’t need to dry them, which saves some time if you’re in a hurry.
Like most fruits and veggies, you don’t want to wash them until you plan to eat them. This helps keep them from going bad faster than you want.
Slice each tomato in half with a sharp knife. I find it easiest to use a paring knife I know is really sharp – just prick it with the back end of the sharp knife, then slice straight through.
Alternatively, the best way to cut tomatoes – especially larger tomatoes – is using a serrated knife. They don’t tear the flesh or squish your tomatoes. It’s a little bit of overkill for the tiny grape tomatoes though!
Add the tomatoes to a bowl. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper, then add the olive oil. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to combine.
Did you see that I used garlic powder? That’s unusual for me. In fact, I finally broke open the (sealed) garlic powder I bought last spring because I always use fresh garlic for everything.
If I made full size Roma tomatoes, I would smash cloves and roast them with the tomatoes. With these tiny tomatoes, however, the garlic powder works perfectly.
The fact that it’s easier is just a bonus, ya know?
Place the cut tomatoes on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. The last thing you want to do is try to scrub that sheet, so make it easy on yourself.
And have you seen the parchment paper that’s cut to fit your cookie sheets? This is one of my favorite innovations!
Make sure your tomatoes are cut side up. If they face down, they don’t roast and dehydrate properly.
Place in your 225 degree oven and bake for 2 1/2 hours for grape tomatoes. Add extra time for larger tomatoes – a total of three hours for cherry tomatoes and four hours for Roma tomatoes.
Once oven roasted tomatoes finish baking, remove the cookie sheet and let them cool thoroughly. Store in a tightly sealed container in your fridge for up to two weeks.
Have you ever made oven roasted tomatoes?
Slow Roasted Italian Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
- Wash tomatoes and slice in half, then place bowl. Add garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper, then olive oil. Stir gently to combine.1 pint grape tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Bake at 225 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.
- After baking, remove from oven and let cool thoroughly. Store in a tightly sealed container in fridge for up to two weeks.
Notes
- These oven roasted tomatoes are perfect for any grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes. They don't work quite as well for beefsteak type tomatoes. If you make this with larger tomatoes, just increase the cooking time, but the temperature doesn't change. For cherry tomatoes, bake for 3 hours, and for Roma tomatoes roast for 4 hours.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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Can you freeze these after making them?
So technically, yes, you can freeze them after you roast them. But even roasting them like this leaves them as a vegetable with a decent amount of water. When you thaw them, the texture will not be the same. If you do this, I would add them to a sauce you’re putting into a casserole or lasagna, or add it to a minestrone or other soup with tomatoes. It won’t work to freeze them and enjoy them the same way you do after roasting them.
[…] Oven roasted tomatoes […]
These are so tasty and you can add whatever spices you like! They have so many purposes too, on bread, over pasta, in salad… the options are limitless!
Absolutely! Of course, I never get beyond the “eat them like candy as they cool off from the oven” stage! 😉
What a great recipe!! I always love making these and adding them on top of chicken! 🙂 Pinning this to try.
Oh they are so delicious on top of chicken! I hope you enjoy this version of them!