There are a lot of things I love to do with fresh tomatoes, but on thing trumps them all: Oven Roasted Tomatoes. It’s a simple process, and my favorite thing to make with an abundance of tomatoes from the garden. Tomatoes are simply cut, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and slow roasted in the oven. The slow roasting process draws out moisture and intensifies flavor and sweetness. It results in rich, thick, flavorful tomatoes that can even come out closer to sun dried if you leave them in a bit longer. They can be blitzed up in a food processor and turned into a sauce or soup, tossed with pasta, used as a spread, added to soups and stews, used on sandwiches, in casseroles, or simply snacked on plain. I like to keep them stocked in my freezer to use throughout the year.
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes – You can use this method on literally any type of tomato. The important thing to remember is that they should be about equal in size once in the oven. So if you have some giant tomatoes, you might want to cut them into eighths, and small tomatoes might be on the same pan simply cut in half, while if I’m doing cherry tomatoes, I generally leave those whole and put them on their own pan in case they need to be removed from the oven early. Keep in mind that some varieties of small cherry tomatoes have a large amount of seeds though, which can turn out a little bitter.
- Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil works great for roasting.
- Garlic – you’ll want to use fresh garlic, not garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper – this brings out the flavor of the tomatoes. I prefer kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
How to Make Oven Roasted Tomatoes
- Cut your tomatoes and remove the pulp. I like to cut most average-sized tomatoes in quarters. As you cut just use clean hands to gently push out pulp (into the sink or garbage) and set tomatoes down on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. You don’t have to remove every last drop of pulp, but a quick squeeze will help remove extra moisture that can slow down the roasting process.
2. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and season. There are no measurements listed in this recipe because you can make as little or as few as you like! You’ll just liberally drizzle your tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil so they are all well coated. They should be glistening and there should be some oil on your baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and I like to add a good amount of minced garlic as well.
TIP: Remember that liquid will be evaporating and flavors intensifying, so I recommend going a little lighter on the salt than you’re inclined.
3. Toss tomatoes and roast. Toss it all together so everything is well coated and evenly space out tomatoes in a single later. I like to put skin-side down and if I see any obvious chunks of garlic on the pan, I try to pick them up and put them on top of a tomato so they don’t burn.
Note on baking time for oven roasted tomatoes: All ovens cook differently, and all tomatoes will vary in baking time due to a variety of factors. The rule of thumb is keep an eye on them! Most average-sized tomatoes cut into quarters will take at least 2 hours. I usually start checking on them after 1.5 and continue cooking them until they appear to be slightly shriveled and even a little browned.
You can continue cooking even past this point and you will get the consistency of a sun-dried tomato, which are amazing! Don’t be afraid to keep cooking! People often take them out much too early. I usually cook for 2.5-3 hours on average. But again- it varies greatly so keep an eye on them.
What do I do with my oven roasted tomatoes?
If you’re like me, you’ll eat them right off the baking sheet! If you can manage to save a few, I like to toss them in pastas and use on hot sandwiches. I store them in zip-top bags or mason jars in my freezer and use them in soups and stews. You can add some broth, cream and herbs and make an amazing tomato soup, or blitz it up for a pasta sauce. The possibilities are endless!
Did You Make This?
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Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- Tomatoes any variety
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Garlic Cloves 4-6 per pan, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed cookie sheets with parchment or foil for easy clean up.
- Remove cores from tomatoes and cut in half. You want all of your pieces similar in size. If you're using small tomatoes, just cut them in half. Anything larger, quarter them. If using cherry or grape tomatoes, I like to leave those whole and put them on their own baking sheet.
- As you cut tomatoes, use clean hands to gently remove excess pulp and place tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet in a big pile.
- Drizzle tomatoes generously with olive oil, enough to coat everything well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 4-5 minced garlic cloves on top.Toss together so everything is coated.
- Arrange tomatoes in a single layer, skins down, on your sheet. I try to make sure most of the garlic is on top of the tomatoes and not on the baking sheet. Your tomatoes should be in a single layer, if they are not, pull out another pan and use 2 so you can spread them out!
- Place pan in oven and cook for about 2.5 hours. Important note about baking time: all ovens are different and tomatoes will vary on baking time due to a variety of factors (size, amount of pulp removed, desired level of doneness etc). I suggest setting your timer for 1.5 hours and taking a peek through the oven window about every 30 minutes from then on, until they are finished. Small tomatoes will be done early, larger pieces take closer to 2.5- 3 hours. I personally like my tomatoes to get a little chewy and browned so I leave them in longer. Up to you!
Questions & Reviews
Delicious! Romas work great! I love these!!!
I had 75 lbs of Romas I had to do something with.
Cut them in half long ways, EVOO, little salt, and roasted them at 425 (convection roasting) for about 45 minutes. I also added big wedges of onion to the pan and entire head of garlic to roast along with the tomatoes and onion. My house smelled like Italian heaven! I squeezed the garlic out and put some in every bag of tomatoes I froze. I have enough to last through the winter.
I make these tomatoes every year. The house does smell amazing. They barely make it from the oven to the table.. healthy candy!
I am making this recipe as we speak. My house smells AMAZING! Thanks for the great tips!
I have made tomatos lije this for years i usually use plum or cherry tomatos
I add them to cream cheese when they are still warm and then refridgerate it and add to your morning bagels!!!!!
(I also add raw suger to the tops to help with carmilization)
Does any one know if previously frozen tomatoes from the garden can be roasted? While I was out of town last week my sweetheart boyfriend tried to help me out by freezing them when he was inundated! Thanks
I actually freeze whole tomatoes all the time! I’ve never roasted them, but the work great in things like salsa and tomato sauce. I bet they would actually roast okay, too. I would thaw them out and drain off as much of the liquid as you can first.
This is without a doubt the best recipe! I look forward to my tomatoes ripening every year so I can make these. The house smells heavenly as they roast. None of them ever make it very far. Oven. Cool (sort of) and consume! I have given many friends this recipe, along with tomatoes. Excellent! This year I just couldn’t wait for the Roma’s so I used the cherry tomatoes. Very good!!
Great site- great recipe for roasted tomatoes…thanks Ladies! Chavat U’varuch~ be strong! be blessed!
Sometimes I add fresh chopped mint,feta and if I have some chopped walnuts(allergic to Pine nuts sadly) and give it a bit if a Greer
flair.
My favorite is to put them on a plate in the kitchen and snack on the all day long.
These tomatos are amazing! Winco stopped selling cheap sundried tomatos in bulk so I was looking for a good substitute…. This exceeds all expectations:)
Love your recipe for roasted tomatoes & Texas sheet cake, thank you
I loved these! I tried some without sugar, removed the ones that had cooked enough and then sprinkled sugar on the remaining tomatoes, which roasted longer. Think I prefer the ones with sugar. Also used whole cloves of garlic — removed them as they got brown and yummy! Kept them to use in a salad or on pasta. Hard to keep these for any recipe as the family kept sampling them off the cookie sheet! 2 hours was required for the larger quartered tomatoes, but some of the smaller ones were ready before.
Is there anyway to to speed the process up a bit? I found a tomato bisque soup recipe that calls for roaste tomatoes…but I live in Phoenix and its 110+ every day. The last thing I want is to have my oven on for 3 hours! Any ideas…or should I just wait til winter to make this?
Ha, well you could probably just put them outside!
Hi Sara;
Thi sounded so good that I just went to the store and bought all the ingredients. However, I have Sea Salt rather than Kosher Salt. Is that okay, or maybe even better?
Thanks,
bill
Sea salt is fantastic!
I made these with romas and regular tomatoes and it was great. I used 325 degree oven and checked it every hour.I used parchment paper. I put my romas on one tray and my regular tomatoes on another. My romas I cut in half and my others I cut in fourths. Roma’s done in about 2 hours and the others 2.5 hours. I then put some in ice cube trays for easier measuring. Thanks for the recipe!!
I followed this exactly, and checked my tomatoes at 2 hours – they were burnt to a crisp and I had to throw them all away (lots of money down the drain!). Oven was at 325, tomatoes were cut in quarters, had oil on them – not sure what went wrong. I’d definitely recommend checking them more often than this suggests!
I was SOOOOO excited to try these!!!! And now I am going to share a piece of wisdom…. 2 hours is WAY TOO LONG for little cherry tomatoes 🙁 I now have a pan of little black crispies. Oh well 🙂 Now I know for next time!
Ha, yep- the timing is for regular sized tomatoes!
I have been roasting tomatoes for yrs. I slice them ( romas ) in 1/2 slices and put them in a large bowl, I then sprinkle enough eevo to coat them good, then I sprinkle in fresh minced garlic & basil from my garden and toss well.Let them set in bowl while I prepare the bread that I put them on.Slice a baggette diagonally , then spread with a spread made of cream cheese ( 8 0z ) mixed with 3 Tabl. of Hidden Vally Ranch mix ( the origanial ) Spread enough to cover each slice of bread.Then place a slice of tomato on makeing sure there is some garlic and basil on each roasted tomato,then cover with finely shredded mozzarella cheese and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or till the cheese is melted and starting to brown. My family can’t get enough of these. I serve them on Christmas eve and there is never any left over !!!
During the summer when we are getting tons of romas, I make the tomatoes up place them on a cookie sheet, single layer, and freeze, after frozen I put them in an air tight container with wax paper between each layer and freeze them.Then when I want to make this bread, all I do is take out the amount I need, place them on a paper plate & let them thaw out while I slice & put the spread on the bread and the tomatoes are ready to go.YUM !!
We are having a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and I always roast them prior to canning, the intensified flavor is wonderful!
…forgot to say…if you’re not on a hot date immediately after the meal, try adding a few anchovies on top.
or take listerine with you, lol
I never roasted tomatoes for this long before…they are amazing, ty. I am diabetic and as part of my diet, this summer I decided to have mixed salad with EVERY evening meal (except Sunday, which is diet-free day, you know, full rack of ribs and a bottle of red…or was that two?)
A good mixed salad is also 2 of 5-a-day. I normally make it with iceberg lettuce, stuffed olives, cherry toms and (shop-bought) roasted red peppers plus olive oil. Then I read sara’s roasted toms!!! Now I cut out the cherry toms and canned peppers and I roast vine tomatoes and peppers at the same time…absolutely brilliant in the salad…(even better if you spoon them over the salad hot)…wicked!
Use the best virgin olive oil you can afford and sea salt.
I normally make it with
Wow, wow, wow! I love cooking with tomatoes, but have never oven roasted them. I needed a yummy [different] side dish to go with my dinner; creamy bacon ranch pasta with chicken breast chunks. Already sounds filling, especially being served with french bread. But my family is the “3 course meal” type, so i knew i needed something else. Couldn’t be another starch, salad is too cliche, didn’t want to do a plain ol’ veggie…Roasted tomatoes!! These were absolutely divine!! The perfect light, slightly crispy side dish. Thank for sharing!
Can’t wait to make a salad with these!
I love roasted tomatoes and this recipe sounds fantastic. I am wondering if anyone has tried it with FROZEN tomatoes. I froze a bunch of tomatoes whole last year and would like to get the most flavor out of them, but I can’t seem to find anything on whether roasting them would work or how to go about it. Any experience would be appreciated. thanks
I hate tomatoes…until NOW! Thank you. I had 25 lbs to use and thankfully, to you, I did.
I made these and they are so good!!!!! I also added just a touch of heat with Cayenne pepper so some and they were awesome on the sandwiches. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
So good! Thanks for the recipe!