It’s Magic!
Something amazing and magical happens when fresh sun-kissed tomatoes spend hours lazily basking in the warmth of a cozy oven.
And it is so easy to do … it’s like taking care of a sleeping baby … you need to stick around and check up once in awhile, but you are free to do your own basking in the midday sun if you like.
And, once the tomatoes have reached the epitome of their roasted-state, you will have the most amazing treat available to you. If you can resist the snacking (they are as addictive as candy!), roasted tomatoes enhance so many dishes … frittatas, scrambled eggs, pizza, soups, sandwiches …almost anything that is on your menu will taste better with a few roasted tomatoes added in.
…. Straight from the baking pan into the food processor … and you have just made a memorable sauce for pasta!
…. Puree with a little extra oil and balsamic vinegar to make an exquisite vinaigrette for a Roasted Tomato and Couscous Salad
Let the magic continue …
Roasted Tomatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes Roasting time: 3 hours
Yield: 2-3 cups
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds (1-1.5 kg) of firm, but ripe, Roma tomatoes
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Sea or Kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Prepare tomatoes: Cut tomatoes in half, or in thirds if they are on the large size. Place in a large bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat and add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Gently heat (like a confit) until soft and fragrant for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the warm olive oil mixture over the tomatoes and gently coat the tomatoes.
- Pour onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Spread the tomato slices into a single layer (use a second baking sheet, if necessary). Turn the tomatoes cut-side up.
- Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Bake at 2250F for 2 hours. Then, increase the heat to 2500F for an additional hour. The tomatoes should collapse – they should not get brown; they should just become an intense burnished orange-red colour.
- Let the tomatoes fully cool on the baking sheet. Place in a container and enjoy. … or add to your pizza, pasta sauce, or vinaigrette.
Questions and comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
