How to easily roast tomatoes

Tomatoes are in season and they are gorgeous, delicious and plentiful. If you were overzealous on your last shopping trip, here is a quick solution for using tomatoes that are nearing their due date: roast them. Roasting tomatoes is an excellent way to bring them back to life as it adds a lovely hint of smokiness and intensifies the natural flavour - especially when they are as delicious as they are right now.

Different types of tomatoes require slightly different treatment. The simplest are your grape or cherry tomatoes. Heat your oven to 400F. Toss your tomatoes with just enough olive oil to coat, season with some salt and pepper, as well as a pinch of sugar – and if you like a touch of heat – a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes have wilted and are slightly browned, about 20 min.

For roma or field tomatoes, my favourite way to roast them is to quarter them first and deseed them. Then, using the same method as above, roast your tomato filets.

This simple roasting technique applies to practically any vegetable. So if you have some aging broccoli, cauliflower, squash, carrots, potatoes or even Brussels sprouts – get them in the oven before it’s too late!

Roasted tomatoes make an excellent side dish. They are also lovely on top of a salad, chopped and added to a pasta, or as an accompaniment to an antipasto platter. One recent recipe that made great use of roasted tomatoes is our Baked 3-Cheese tomato strata.

Originally published October 10, 2011.