Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I had too many cherry tomatoes – probably two or three pints.  I really didn’t want to eat them all at once – or raw –  so I roasted them.   It couldn’t have been easier because it requires the tiniest of preparations.  If you’re looking for an pasta, pizza, or appetizer topping to make before hand, this is the one.  Stored in olive oil, they keep for a few weeks in the fridge and they look oh-so fussy on top of crackers or toast.   Bonus: The house smelled deliciously of Italian food for 3-4 hours while these were in the oven.

The quick run down:

I preheated the oven at a very low temperature, about 200 – 225 degrees.  I washed each tomato and cut it in half.  I placed all halves into a plastic ziplock bag, adding several smashed garlic cloves, enough olive oil to coat the contents, salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  After shaking to generously coat, I poured the coated tomatoes and garlic onto a few baking sheets, put them in the oven, and set the timer for about an hour.  Every 15 minutes or so, I checked the tomatoes for doneness.  I roasted them until they were wrinkled, but still slightly plump – not to the point of being leathery.

If you like balsamic vinegar, consider adding a bit to the oil in the ziplock when coating the tomatoes.  I’ve served these tomatoes with pasta, goat cheese, and parmesan and on turkey sandwiches with brie.   You can also use them as you would sun-dried tomatoes.

-Jen

 

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