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.
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 like pico 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
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. Drizzle with olive oil and 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
OMG these are so wonderful! I literally just made these and immediately thought of 10 different dishes that I could use these in, if we don’t eat ’em directly off the tray first!
Oven temperature is Fahrenheit, yes?
yep!
Can you put them in the freezer and if not how do you keep them for later use?
I made this last year. Blended then froze in muffin tins for easy portioning in sauces.
Such a great idea!
yep!
I admit I was rather skeptical about how these would taste but as I had an abundance of cherry tomatoes, I decided to give it a try.
Was I ever wrong! I ate quite a few right off the pan and then used the remaining in a pasta salad the following day. What a joyous burst of flavour they add!
These roasted tomatoes are simply amazing. Much tastier than sun-dried tomatoes. I’ll definitely be making these again.
Hi Teri, ahh yay! I’m always excited to hear about a roasted tomato convert. So glad you loved them!
perfect. thank you!
So glad you loved them, Beth!
Can you process these in small canning jars in a hot water bath for use later?
Hi Debra, unfortunately, we don’t have experience canning, so I’m not sure if this would work.
Would this be appropriate for a bruschetta appetizer, with goat cheese?
Yep, that would be great!
I was wondering what to do with all my yellow pear tomatoes. These plants are producers. Thanks for the idea. Can these be stored for future use?
Hi Kay, they’ll keep in the fridge for about a week. You could also freeze them for longer storage.
I tried this today because I didn’t want tomatoes from mine and my neighbors garden going to waste. They were small cherry size and large cherry size. Though I put them on one pan, I decided to lift some out sooner. I went back and forth with this. Ended up taking some out then returning them a little later. Well they have amazing flavor!!! I appreciate all your suggestions.
I’m so glad you loved them!
Anyone with experience of roasting veggies at 350°?
My junky oven stays only on 350°F , lol, so I’ll start the halved roma tomatoes in a cold oven, to simulate the 250°—> 350° method.
Hi, that might work, after a little bit at 350 (if the liquid is starting to burst out too much), I’d just turn the oven off and let them finish in the hot oven before it cools back down.
I made these for an omelette bar for a Galentine’s Brunch and I had to stop eating them of the tray. Otherwise, there would he none. I used constellation babies and they were perfect. I had some flaked sea salt that kicked it up a notch. Will definitely be making these again. Next time, I’ll start my batch in the morning.
Hi! I just wanted to say I made this, I’ve never tried this method before, and it produced the most delicious flavorful tomatoes ever. It took the ‘okay’ tomatoes I had and made each one bursting with flavor. what a wonderful recipe, these seemingly go perfect on EVERYTHING. I’m going to make a huge batch to use all week next time. Thank you again!
Love the beautiful simplicity, yet wonderful flavor and versatility these have. I use them for everything. Admittedly I didn’t think to just slow roast them (not at that low temp, anyway) to that perfect jammy consistency and bright sweetness and depth. I typically have done them at higher temps and- while good- these were better.
Great recipe and process!
Hi Randy, I’m so glad you loved the tomatoes! They really are great for everything.
How do you store them if you have a ton?
I store them in the fridge for a few days and I freeze them after that.
Absolutely delicious. My red and gold cherry tomatoes are providing a splendid harvest. This recipe is perfect for the multi quarts of fruit being produced.
Slow cook and low temperature created a magical explosion of flavors. Thank you for the recommendation. Yummy!
I’m so glad you’ve loved them!
Hello! How far in advance can you make the roasted tomatoes for the pesto pizza recipe on your site? Thanks!
These are absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad you loved them!