Want to punch up the flavor in your next pizza or pasta? Try adding roasted tomatoes! They're deliciously chewy & tart with an irresistible umami flavor.
summer / vegetarian — Jump to recipe
Have you ever tried roasted tomatoes? If you haven’t, I’m here to tell you that you have to make this roasted tomato recipe before summer ends. While I love using juicy fresh tomatoes in recipes likepico de gallo, Caprese salad, and panzanella, roasted tomatoes transform into something totally different. As they roast, they lose moisture, and their flavor intensifies. They come out of the oven chewy & tart, with a super-concentrated, intense umami flavor. These little guys are totally irresistible!
Make sure you roast a big batch – you’ll find endless ways to use them. Around here, we can’t get enough of them on pizza, in pasta, or on their own straight out of the oven!
How to Roast Tomatoes
Luckily, making oven-roasted tomatoes couldn’t be easier. All you need is olive oil, salt, and tomatoes. When you’re choosing tomato varieties, choose small to medium-sized ones. I especially like to roast cherry tomatoes, but grape tomatoes, or plum tomatoes work too. The hardest part is waiting for them to cook! Here’s how to roast them:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the tomatoes in half, and place them with their cut sides up in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and transfer the baking dish to the oven. Roast the tomatoes until they’re shriveled and browned around the edges. That’s it!
At 250 degrees, my cherry tomatoes took 2 to 3 hours to get totally shriveled and brown around the edges. The time will vary depending on the size and juiciness of your tomatoes – roasted grape tomatoes can take as little as an hour, while larger tomatoes will need longer.
When I have time to let them cook, I love to do a really long, slow roast like this. But some days, I don’t have all afternoon to make roasted tomatoes. When I’m in a hurry, I roast them at 300 degrees to help them cook faster, or I’ll start at 250 and turn up the heat to 350 partway through, once the tomatoes have begun to wilt down. They come out great just the same! Just be sure not to start with too high a temperature – if the oven is too hot, the tomatoes will burst, not shrivel.
What To Do With Oven Roasted Tomatoes
With their concentrated umami flavor, roasted tomatoes are an excellent addition to pastas, salads, soups, tomato sauce, and more! Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- Load them onto a sandwich or toast with avocado, ricotta, or hummus.
- Blend them into tomato soup or pasta sauce.
- Bake them onto a loaf of homemade focaccia.
- Add them to a salad. This couscous salad and this eggplant salad are two of my favorites.
- Stir them into scrambled eggs.
- Toss them into pasta.
- Use them in a big veggie lasagna.
- Top them onto homemade pizza. I like to use them instead of the sun-dried tomatoes on my favorite vegan pizza!
- Eat them right off the pan. 🙂
How do you like to use roasted tomatoes? Let me know in the comments!
If you love these oven roasted tomatoes…
Try roasted red peppers, cauliflower, asparagus, beets, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or delicata squash next!
Roasted Tomatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Serves 6
Roasted tomatoes are the easiest way to add flavor to summer pizzas, pastas, and more! Note that your cooking time will depend on the size and juiciness of your tomatoes. Be sure to roast until they're shriveled and brown around the edges!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh thyme, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the cherry tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, if using.
Roast the tomatoes until they’re well shriveled around the edges, 2 to 3 hours. The time will vary depending on the size and water content of your tomatoes.
Notes
Note: to speed up the process, I often turn up my oven to 300 or 350 halfway through the roasting time. This allows the tomatoes to begin to dehydrate and then continue to roast. Too high of a temperature too early will cause them to burst instead of shrivel.
FAQs
Oven roasted tomatoes are so much more concentrated and intense in flavor, making them useful in so many ways (like with vegan tomato basil soup and more–lots of ideas below). And like I said earlier, when you can't eat winter tomatoes, roast them for a much tastier option.
Do tomato and lemon go together? ›
I had some grape tomatoes I had to use up. The combination of ingredients was perfect and sooo tasty! we especially enjoyed the touch of lemon juice and zest. So easy and quick to put together, I will make it often.
How long does it take to roast tomatoes in an air fryer? ›
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5 minutes. Mist cherry tomatoes with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle on herbs and salt. Set in the air fryer basket. Lower temperature to 370 degrees F (185 degrees C) and air-fry for 8 minutes.
How does roasting tomatoes change the flavor? ›
As they roast, they lose moisture, and their flavor intensifies. They come out of the oven chewy & tart, with a super-concentrated, intense umami flavor. These little guys are totally irresistible! Make sure you roast a big batch – you'll find endless ways to use them.
Are roasted tomatoes healthier than raw? ›
Tomatoes have long been known to be a good source of lycopene, the phytochemical which makes them red but which also has significant antioxidant properties. Now new research has shown that this antioxidant power can be boosted even more through the simple act of cooking the tomatoes.
How long do roasted tomatoes last in the fridge? ›
Roasted tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 weeks. To freeze the tomatoes, place them on a wax paper-lined sheet pan or plate in the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer them to an airtight bag or container up to 2 months.
What does lemon juice do to tomatoes? ›
Testing has shown that some current tomato varieties have pH values at or above pH 4.6; a few have values of pH 5 or even higher. Adding the recommended amount of bottled lemon juice or citric acid lowers the pH of all tested varieties enough to allow for the safe process of water bath canning.
What should you not mix with lemon? ›
#1 Milk and Dairy Products
The acid in lemon can destabilise the proteins in dairy, resulting in a lumpy texture. If you did not intend to make paneer, this phenomenon could be rather unpleasant. Also, consuming milk products and lemon together can trigger acidic reactions and cause severe heartburn and acidity.
What should not be mixed with tomatoes? ›
Tomatoes, which are considered acidic, do not mix well with starchy carbs such as pasta. This already-cumbersome combo turns into a recipe for digestive problems when you add dairy to it.
Is it OK to roast tomatoes on aluminum foil? ›
Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil.
This step makes clean-up a cinch. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil or avocado oil so they won't stick to the foil, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to season as they cook.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.
Is it better to roast in air fryer or oven? ›
Roasting foods in the air fryer is much quicker than roasting them in the oven since its compact size allows the air fryer to get to temperature much more quickly and use that heat more efficiently.
What can I add to tomatoes to make them taste better? ›
Yes, there are other ways to make your tomatoes taste even better and increase the acidity. There is lemon, vinegar, or my personal favorite, balsamic. Just imagine a tomato bruschetta with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top.
Do you roast tomatoes skin up or down? ›
Cut tomatoes in half, and scoop out seeds and pulp, if desired. Spread about half the oil on a nonstick baking sheet that will accommodate the tomatoes without crowding. Put tomatoes on sheet, skin side up, and distribute garlic and thyme among them; drizzle with remaining oil and salt.
Why do you add sugar when cooking tomatoes? ›
The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.
Why am I craving roasted tomatoes? ›
An insatiable craving for tomatoes or tomato products is known as tomatophagia. Tomatophagia may sometimes be associated with nutritional deficiencies, especially in pregnant women. It may also occur in people with iron deficiency anemia, even though raw tomatoes are low in iron.
Are roasted tomatoes anti-inflammatory? ›
Tomatoes can be part of your overall produce intake because of their healthful nutrients and compounds, such as lycopene, beta carotene and vitamin C, all of which act as antioxidants and exert anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Why do tomatoes taste better in Europe? ›
Klee pointed out that Europe also has out-of-season produce in its stores. The difference is that locals will generally demand and pay for better quality. "The Italians, probably more than anybody, have a higher standard," he said. "At their best, they're only getting their tomatoes in season.
Why are cooked tomatoes better for you? ›
Similarly, when you cook tomatoes – whether you roast them slowly or make a cooked sauce – it helps to break down the plant cell walls, allowing us to better absorb the lycopene they contain. All these nutrients help to safeguard our cells from damage, may protect us from certain cancers and are heart-friendly.
