Slow roasted Roma Tomatoes with Sprigs of Thyme and Garlic Cloves
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Paola Legarre
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. of tomatoes such as Romas, Oxhearts, or Plum style tomato. Or if you have an abundance of ripe cherry tomatoes.
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of course sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1 garlic bulb, separate the cloves
- Small bundle of fresh thyme
- My secret ingredient - 6 Aleppo peppers (middle eastern variety of pepper with complex flavor and spice) or equivalent mild to medium spice red pepper, like a mild paprika pepper (optional).
- Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.
- Quarter or halve (depending how large the tomato is) long ways and put skin side down on a rimmed cookie sheet. Use tomatoes such as Romas, Oxhearts, or Plum style tomatoes. These tomatoes have less seeds and water and more tomato flesh which make it perfect for roasting. Some of my favorite varieties to use are San Marzanos, Opalkas, Pozzanos, Jersey Devils, Speckled Roma, Hungarian Klamath and Super Italian Paste. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic cloves and peppers if using, throughout the tomatoes.
- Layer thyme sprigs through the sheet of tomatoes.
- Roast for 10 minutes at high temperature then reduce heat to 250-280 F.
- Roast until they have wilted and shrunk by half. This should take 2 to 4 hours. Larger plums require longer roasting.
- Serve with mozzarella, barbecued meat, tossed in a pasta dish, add to a Mediterranean sandwich or serve with mozzarella, serve on baguette with goat cheese, add to soups for rich flavors.
- If you wish to have roasted tomatoes all winter long. Make a big batch and freeze roasted tomatoes. After completely cool, pack into freezer-safe bags or airtight containers, squeeze out as much air as possible from the bags to prevent freezer burn. For easy use freeze in a single layer.
Directions
- Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.
- Quarter or halve (depending how large the tomato is) long ways and put skin side down on a rimmed cookie sheet. Use tomatoes such as Romas, Oxhearts, or Plum style tomatoes. These tomatoes have less seeds and water and more tomato flesh which make it perfect for roasting. Some of my favorite varieties to use are San Marzanos, Opalkas, Pozzanos, Jersey Devils, Speckled Roma, Hungarian Klamath and Super Italian Paste. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic cloves and peppers if using, throughout the tomatoes.
- Layer thyme sprigs through the sheet of tomatoes.
- Roast for 10 minutes at high temperature then reduce heat to 250-280 F.
- Roast until they have wilted and shrunk by half. This should take 2 to 4 hours. Larger plums require longer roasting.
- Serve with mozzarella, barbecued meat, tossed in a pasta dish, add to a Mediterranean sandwich or serve with mozzarella, serve on baguette with goat cheese, add to soups for rich flavors.
- If you wish to have roasted tomatoes all winter long. Make a big batch and freeze roasted tomatoes. After completely cool, pack into freezer-safe bags or airtight containers, squeeze out as much air as possible from the bags to prevent freezer burn. For easy use freeze in a single layer.