Roasted Tomatoes

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.

Roasted tomatoes

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!

Roasted tomatoes recipe ingredients

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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Slice the tomatoes in half, and place them with their cut sides up in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  3. 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!

Roasted tomatoes recipe

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.

Roasted cherry tomatoes

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.

How to roast tomatoes

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:

How do you like to use roasted tomatoes? Let me know in the comments!

Roasted Tomatoes

If you love these oven roasted tomatoes…

Try roasted red peppers, cauliflower, asparagus, beets, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or delicata squash next!

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Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted Tomatoes

rate this recipe:
5 from 33 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Serves 6
Roasted tomatoes are the easiest way to add flavor to summer pizzas, pastas, and more! Note that your cooking time will depend on the size and juiciness of your tomatoes. Be sure to roast until they're shriveled and brown around the edges!

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 and drizzle with olive oil, 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

Note: to speed up the process, I often turn up my oven to 300 or 350 halfway through the roasting time. This allows the tomatoes to begin to dehydrate and then continue to roast. Too high of a temperature too early will cause them to burst instead of shrivel.

 

52 comments

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  1. R G
    03.10.2024

    5 stars
    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.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.11.2024

      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.

  2. KayK Banks
    02.17.2024

    5 stars
    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.

  3. Fivel
    01.23.2024

    5 stars
    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!

  4. Randy
    05.02.2023

    5 stars
    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!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.05.2023

      Hi Randy, I’m so glad you loved the tomatoes! They really are great for everything.

  5. Lynn Vanderhoff
    10.29.2022

    How do you store them if you have a ton?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.01.2022

      I store them in the fridge for a few days and I freeze them after that.

  6. Terri M
    09.14.2022

    5 stars
    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!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.21.2022

      I’m so glad you’ve loved them!

  7. Tracy
    09.07.2022

    Hello! How far in advance can you make the roasted tomatoes for the pesto pizza recipe on your site? Thanks!

  8. Sharon
    08.25.2022

    5 stars
    These are absolutely delicious!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.26.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.