Olive Oil Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic
Get ready for a rich and tender flavor bomb in your mouth. So much so, if you close your eyes and eat one of these olive oil slow-roasted tomatoes, it makes you think you are in Italy. Plus, they are the perfect way to preserve lots of garden-fresh tomatoes, no canning required.
Now that it is August, my over-ambitious vegetable garden has come to life as I scramble to pick and preserve all of my bounties. I’m a maniac in the kitchen and fight over basil and garlic at the farmer’s market as if it was a life-or-death situation. Well, it kind of is, that is for the tomato.
Last year, I failed dismally at keeping up with the tomatoes as I left halfway through harvest season for Northern Ireland. This year is different. This year I am ready. I’ve bookmarked recipes, saved paper clippings of random ideas, and am determined to use or preserve every last tomato out of my garden.
These Olive Oil Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic are a gamechanger.
This dish first came on my radar when I was in Northern Ireland and saw my coworker make it. This happens to be the same coworker who gave me this Stovetop Asparagus with Pistachios and Herbs. I clearly made friends with the right people when I was there.
He piled impeccable San Marzano tomatoes on top of garlic and sardines, made them sit in a luxurious olive oil bath, and then slow cook in an old European oven. The tomato and garlic smell wafted through the air as they cooked down. It was as dreamy as it sounds, and I was drooling as much as the dog.
When I attempted to recreate this recipe back here in the States, I tinkered with it slightly as it is hard to replicate the effect of an old European-style oven. I increased the temperature to get those highly sought-after caramelized edges and learned the key to perfect slow-roasted tomatoes are the low edges on the side of the pan. The result are tender, bold, and sweet tomatoes that make you keep popping them into your mouth. No adornment is needed.
Ways to Eat
These slow-roasted tomatoes are incredibly versatile. For a classic Italian dish, add parmesan cheese and pasta and eat like mad (my coworker’s words, not mine). Alternatively, add to scrambled eggs. Eat with soft creamy goat cheese on toast like David Lebovitz. Mix in with soft creamy goat cheese for a luxurious dip. Add to ground beef for a mind-blowing spaghetti dish. Top on vegetables or steak. Eat them straight. See where I am going with this? You can’t go wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions about Olive Oil Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Store them in their oil in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months. Yes, that takes you well into February.
Slow-roasted tomatoes have a highly concentrated flavor since the water inside the tomatoes evaporates throughout the roasting process, causing the flavors to intensify and the sugars to caramelize.
While this recipe uses a lot of olive oil, after the the slow-roasting process, you are left with a garlic flavor-infused olive oil that is a perfect dip for bread or for roasting in vegetables.
Before you start: Tips for Success
TOMATOES. For best results, choose a paste tomato that has a meaty texture and little seeds such as San Marzano, Amish Paste, or Polish Linguisa.
PAN SIZE. Slow-roasted tomatoes are more of a technique than a recipe. Make sure to use a pan that is wide with low sides. Depending on the width of the pan you use, you may need more or fewer tomatoes for two layers. Only use two layers of tomatoes in one pan.
More Summer-Inspired Recipes
- Three Bean Salad with Lemon and Dill
- Grilled Carrots with jalapeño, lime, and cotija
- 4-Ingredient Shredded Carrot Salad
Olive Oil Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic
Get ready for a rich and tender flavor bomb in your mouth. So much so, if you close your eyes and eat one of these olive oil slow-roasted tomatoes, it makes you think you are in Italy. Plus, they are the perfect way to preserve lots of garden-fresh tomatoes, no canning required.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 extra-large or 8 small garlic cloves, smashed, peels removed
- 1 can (3.75 ounces) sardines, finely chopped (optional)*
- 2 lbs garden-fresh paste tomatoes, cored
- kosher salt for sprinkling
- 1/3 cup (118 ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C). Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven.
- Arrange the garlic and sardines (if using). Scatter the smashed garlic cloves and sardines across the bottom of a shallow 2-3 quart baking dish* (see the note above in “Tips for Success”).
- Cut the tomatoes. Cut smaller-size tomatoes into thirds lengthwise, or if you have larger paste tomatoes, cut into fourths lengthwise. Aim for 1/2″ thick slices.
- Add the tomatoes. Arrange a layer of tomatoes cut side up on top of the garlic cloves. A slight overlap is perfect! Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt. Add a second layer of tomatoes cut side up on top of the first layer of tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.
- Assemble the dish. Pour the olive oil over the entire dish. Make sure to distribute it as evenly as possible. The oil prevents the tomatoes from burning.
- Roast the tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes until they start to carmelize around their edges, and are completely softened and shriveled, about 4 1/2 hours.
- Serve. If eating immediately, add parmesan, then pasta to the tomatoes. To store, let the tomatoes come to room temperature before storing in their oil in the refrigerator.
Notes
SARDINES. If you plan on using the oven-roasted tomatoes with beef, skip the sardines.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 251 calories
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 219mg
- Fat: 20.2g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 8.1g
- Cholesterol: 33mg
Keywords: slow-roasted tomatoes in olive oil, slow-roasted summer tomatoes, slow-roasted roma tomatoes