Have you ever tried roasted tomatoes? Specifically slow-roasted tomatoes, the best of all roasted tomatoes? If not, you have been missing out! Last summer, our garden produced more cherry tomatoes than we could eat fresh, so I roasted several batches over the weekends.

You might be thinking that it’s hard to beat fresh tomatoes (and I agree), but roasted tomatoes are even nicer. The flavors and textures condense in the oven, yielding spectacularly sweet-tart, rich tomato flavor. They offer the umami that you’ll find in sun-dried tomatoes, but they taste brighter and more fresh.

Once roasted, these tomatoes keep in the refrigerator for over a week, so this is a great way to preserve tomatoes a little longer. Commenters report that these tomatoes freeze wonderfully for wintertime, too—Chris says you can pull them out of the freezer bag and add them to salads!

Honestly, I eat these tomatoes like candy. I have to stop myself from eating them all straight off the pan. Unlike most other roasted veggies, which I typically serve as a side dish, these roasted tomatoes are the perfect addition to many summer meals. They’ll turn something simple like pesto pasta into a highly memorable dinner.

Tomato lovers, gardeners and weekend meal preppers, this roasted tomato recipe is for you!

How to Roast Tomatoes

You’ll find my simple recipe below. Here are some notes and tips before you get started.

Choose your tomatoes wisely

Smaller, less seedy and more fleshy tomatoes yield the best roasted tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are ideal, including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, San Marzanos, Amish Paste and Speckled Romans. Small heirloom tomato varieties are worth trying!

Leave the tomato skins on

We’ll simply slice each tomato in half, toss it with olive oil and salt, and roast the tomatoes with the cut sides up. This method encourages the tomato juices to evaporate, leaving ultra flavorful tomatoes that retain their distinct shapes on the pan.

Tip: If you’re using a larger variety of tomato than cherry tomatoes and you can gently squeeze or scoop out any excess juice and seeds, please do. It will help reduce the amount of cooking time to a reasonable amount.

Roast the tomatoes low and slow

The best way to roast tomatoes is low and slow, at just 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about two hours. The beauty of this slower method is that you can throw these in on a hot summer day without overheating your kitchen. If you were to crank up the oven to high heat, the tomatoes would turn into a more messy, saucy situation.

Watch How to Make Roasted Tomatoes

Uses for Roasted Tomatoes

Try scattering roasted cherry tomatoes on any of the following:

• Eggs
• Pasta
• Pizzas
• Quesadillas and tacos
• Salads with greens, herbs or whole grains
• Toasts or crackers spread with cream cheese, goat cheese or mashed avocado

Roasted tomatoes go particularly well with these Mediterranean flavors: 

• Basil
• Bell peppers, especially roasted
• Feta, goat cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan
• Olives and capers
• Zucchini and yellow squash

More Tomato Recipes to Try

Here are just a few more of my favorite tomato recipes featuring ripe summer tomatoes.

• Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes
• Burrata with Tomatoes and Basil
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad with Greek Dressing
• Layered Panzanella
• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Please let me know how your roasted tomatoes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

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