Roasted Tomatoes with Olive Oil

I want to have a fancy name for this dish, but I just can’t bring myself to call it anything other than what it is: roasted tomatoes with olive oil. I make this all the time with fresh tomatoes in the summer and it is one of the easiest and best ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes – apart from simply slicing them and eating them as they are, of course.

All you need are a bunch of fresh tomatoes, some olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss everything together and roast the tomatoes until they’re tender. Then scrape all of those tender tomatoes into a bowl with some more olive oil and use it as a dip for bread (or anything else you might think goes well with it). Roasting really brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes.

I use a mix of tomatoes for this, depending on what I have. Large tomatoes can be cut into medium-thick slices and place on a baking sheet for roasting, while cherry tomatoes can simply be added whole. I will admit that cherry tomatoes, or other very small tomatoes, are my favorites, but all tomatoes will work well for this recipe. Use a good quality olive oil – one that you like the flavor of – because you’re going to taste it in the finished product, just as you would taste the flavor of the olive oil when you’re simply using it with vinegar as a dip for a nice piece of bread.

Roasted Tomatoes with Olive Oil
1 lb tomatoes (as many as will cover a baking sheet)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400F.
Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Choose a sheet with sides, or make a “tray” with aluminum foil so that the tomato juices don’t run out into your oven.
Place baby tomatoes directly on baking sheet. Cut larger tomatoes into thick, sandwich-like slices and place on sheet. Use enough tomatoes to cover the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tomatoes are tender and some are lightly browned. Roasting time will vary from batch to batch.
Scrape tomatoes into a large bowl and add 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil, as well as more salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with good quality bread.