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Oven-roasted tomatoes are delicious on their own or added to last-minute pasta, salads, or sandwiches. Here’s How to Roast Tomatoes, transforming any ordinary grocery store tomato into a truly gourmet ingredient.
Roasted tomatoes are sensational spread on fat slices of grilled bread and topped with a little crumbled goat cheese. Serve alongside Knorr Spinach Dip, Homemade Olive Tapenade, and a bottle of something cold and bubbly, for a happy hour (or two) at your house.
Roasting for a long period of time at a low temperature concentrates the tomato flavor, evaporating moisture, and making them rich and jammy. It’s just the thing to do when you’ve got extra tomatoes. But it’s especially good when all you can find are the so-so ones at the store. There’s something sort of magical about it.
It’s a fabulous way to preserve them, too. Freeze slow-roasted tomatoes in batches to use for tomato sauces, pasta, or just to snack on when you need a little tomato love in your life.
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What kind of tomatoes can you roast?
Truthfully, any kind of tomato works: roasted whole cherry tomatoes, Campari tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or plum tomatoes. Big Boys, Brandywines, you get the idea!
Even the less-than-juicy, not-quite-ripe kind tomato that you see year-round in the produce section turns into a delicious, delicious roasted tomato. Romas, the firm, oblong variety, work particularly well.
If you want to make roasted tomatoes on the vine, keep them on their stems and try it. (Leave a comment about how it went!)
The only thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that different-sized tomatoes will likely need different cooking times.
What you need to slow roast tomatoes:
- Tomatoes. Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, plum, or any kind you have.
- Olive oil.
- Salt and pepper. Or any other herbs! Try fresh herbs, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, or thyme.
How to Roast Tomatoes:
- First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Next, half the tomatoes and place them in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. With your hands, gently toss everything until well coated.
- Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, on parchment paper lined baking trays. Make sure there’s enough room between tomatoes so air can circulate and concentrate those flavors.
- Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes have shrunk in size, retaining their shape. Depending on the size of the tomatoes, it could take more or less time.
Other tips for roasting tomatoes:
You can use also use a baking rack, to roast the tomatoes. Set the rack with the tomatoes on parchment-lined baking sheets or glass baking dishes with a thin coating of extra virgin olive oil.
If you’re using a metal pan, make sure it’s not made of aluminum foil, which can react with the acidity of the tomatoes.
How to store roasted tomatoes:
- Refrigerator. You can store the roasted tomatoes in a glass jar, topped with a little olive oil, in the fridge. Use within the week.
- Freezer. Store tomatoes for freezing in small freezer bags, vacuum-sealed pouches, or the freezer storage unit of your choice. Make the amounts small enough for single uses.
Roasted Tomatoes recipes:
Now that you’ve mastered this roasted tomato how to, what can you do with them?
- Pasta sauce. Make traditional tomato sauce richer and more concentrated. Try a Homemade Meat Sauce with extra tomatoes thrown in.
- Lasagna. Everyone will want the recipe for your lasagna with a secret weapon: Slow roasted tomatoes.
- Pasta dinners. Quick and easy pasta dinners taste like they were cooking all day when slow-roasted tomatoes are involved. Throw a handful into your favorite recipe. They work well as a substitute for sun-dried tomatoes… like a Creamy Chicken Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes.
- Appetizers. Oven-roasted tomatoes for bruschetta? Yes, please. Add a sprinkle of fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and some mozzarella over toasted baguette and a roasted cherry tomato.
- Soup. Use this roasted tomato recipe in my Roasted Tomato Soup.
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How to Roast Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Plum Tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and olive oil, tossing gently.
- In a large bowl, add tomato halves, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 tablespoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper). Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I roast ripe Campari tomatoes sliced in half . Drizzle with olive oil & Italian herbs. Bake for 1 hr at 300 degrees. Toss with pasta or spread on toast with avocado mash or ricotta cheese.
The first time, I had to bake for a shorter time, only 30 minutes. They weren’t done.
Today I went the entire 40 minutes. 400 deg. F sure smokes the oil coating the tomatoes. Ok if we’re outside but in the house the oil smoke is everywhere.
I don’t know how to fix this.
Find another recipe?
Hey there, the roast time is 45 minutes, not 30 or 40. If your house is filling with smoke, you could choose a different oil with a higher smoke point. You could also lower the temperature and let them go longer. Thanks! -Meggan
So easy to do and just super for my soup