Cooking 101: How Do You Roast Tomatoes?

When it comes to quick and easy snacks, you can’t really get better than freshly roasted tomatoes. Although it is a simple treat to make, first-timers or amateur chefs might need a bit of guidance to answer the question: “how do you roast tomatoes?”

At Tastessence, we’ve put together this quick guide to help you find out how to roast tomatoes at home to enjoy anytime you’d like. Keep reading to learn how to roast tomatoes like a pro. We’ll also share what type of tomatoes you can use for roasting and what to eat with this dish.

Choose your tomatoes

As long as your tomatoes are fresh and ripe, you can’t really go wrong. Any variety should work well in this recipe, so you can use Roma, cherry, or plum tomatoes — or whatever kind you have on hand. If you’re making roasted tomatoes as a side dish for a few people, you should be fine with 2-3 pounds of tomatoes.

Gather your materials

Preheat your oven to 400° F and bring together all of your ingredients. In addition to your tomatoes, you’ll also need a few other things to complete the recipe, such as:

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (adjust depending on your preference)
One tablespoon of freshly chopped thyme or basil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Note: There isn’t an exact science to roasting tomatoes, so you can add and subtract any of the ingredients to suit your taste preferences.

Prep the tomatoes

Once you’ve chosen the perfect tomatoes, you’ll need to get them ready for roasting. Clean them thoroughly with running water and pat them dry. Cut your tomatoes into halves or quarters (depending on how big you’d like them) and throw them into a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and add the other ingredients on top. Using tongs or large spoons, gently toss all of the ingredients together so that your tomatoes are coated with oil, herbs, and salt and pepper.

Roast your tomatoes

Dump the contents of your mixing bowl onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure that all of the tomatoes are arranged in a single layer. Put the tray into the oven. For small tomatoes, 10-20 minutes should be long enough. Larger tomatoes (like Roma) could take up to 30-40 minutes. Either way, keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn or burst.

Enjoy your delicious dish

With the hard work done, it’s time to enjoy your roasted tomatoes. They’re tasty enough to eat on their own or with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze. Roasted tomatoes also pair perfectly with a variety of cheeses, including burrata, mozzarella, and parmesan. Tie everything together with a loaf of freshly baked artisan bread.

As you can tell, the answer to the question, “how do you roast tomatoes?” isn’t overly complicated. With a few simple and fresh ingredients, you can whip up this tasty dish and dig in within just about half an hour.

For more cooking ideas and suggestions, check out the Tastessence blog.