Recipes › Main Season Tomato › Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Main season tomatoes slow-roasted with olive oil, garlic, and thyme until they collapse into intensely sweet, savory, jammy concentrations of pure tomato. These are not a side dish — they're a condiment, a topping, a pizza sauce, a pasta sauce, a bruschetta base. Make a huge batch while tomatoes are at their best.
Main Season Tomato is usually ready May to June. More main season tomato recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs main season tomatoes, halved through the equator
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Contains: cereals gluten.
Method
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Arrange tomato halves cut-side up in a large baking dish, fitting them snugly.About 5 min
- Tuck garlic slices and thyme sprigs between and around the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper.About 5 min
- Roast at 300°F for 2–2.5 hours until tomatoes are collapsed, shrunken by half, and intensely caramelized. They should look almost jammy.About 120 min
- Cool slightly before using. Transfer to jars and cover with the cooking oil for storage.About 5 min
Tips
- The low temperature is the whole point — high heat will just roast them, not slow-concentrate them.
- The cooking oil they sit in becomes an incredible infused tomato oil — don't discard it.
- Make a large batch and freeze them in portions — winter tomato cravings solved.
Ring the changes
- Add a pinch of dried chili flakes for a spicy slow-roasted tomato.
- Swap thyme for basil (added in the last 10 minutes only — basil burns at this heat) for an Italian version.
Keeping it
Refrigerate submerged in oil for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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