Roasted cherry tomatoes are very tasty, but also very easy to prepare. Have you ever found a handful of cherry tomatoes in the fridge and don't know what to do with them? By roasting them with aromatic herbs and olive oil, you can enhance the flavor of the cherry tomatoes and turn them into a delicious side dish, perfect to accompany pasta, omelette or even just bread, mozzarella and basil. This cooking method also allows you to keep them longer. If you think the tomatoes are going to go bad, roasting them will make them last for a few more days.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Wash and Store the Ciliegini
Step 1. Wash the tomatoes
You should first wash them quickly with cold water to make sure they are clean and ready to use. Always remember to wash your hands before preparing and cooking food.
Step 2. Put them in a bowl
Do not rub or pat them: place them in a bowl lined with paper towels. Since excess water will be absorbed by the napkins, it will not collect at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 3. Place the bowl in the fridge without covering it to prevent condensation from forming
It is advisable to avoid that water and humidity collect in the container. Condensation can spoil tomatoes pretty quickly, sometimes even causing mold to grow. You can leave them in the fridge until it's time to roast them.
Part 2 of 5: Preparing the Tomatoes for Roasting
Step 1. Prepare an aluminum pan for roasting the tomatoes
When cooking them, look for a suitable aluminum pan. For example, you could use a shallow pan, such as a cookie sheet, which is usually about 3cm high. You will need enough space to avoid stacking the tomatoes.
Step 2. Grease the pan
Pour about 80 ml (or 4 or 5 tablespoons) of a good quality olive oil into the bottom of the pan. The quality of the oil allows you to obtain a better result, so it is best to use only cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil. Grease the pan with your fingers until the surface is completely coated.
Step 3. Place the tomatoes in the pan
Take the cherries and distribute them in the pan with greased fingers. Roll them in lightly to coat them well with the oil. In addition to making them even tastier, this step also helps protect the peel, preventing it from burning in the oven. In this way the tomatoes will brown without drying out.
Part 3 of 5: Season the Tomatoes
Step 1. Prepare the spices
Spread the tomatoes in the pan, wash your hands to remove the oil from your fingers before moving on to the spices and seasonings. You can experiment with various types of spices, but here are some great ones to start with: rosemary, oregano, crushed black pepper (instead of whole grains), sea salt, and basil.
These spices all go very well with roasted tomatoes to prepare typical dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, but on another occasion you could also try using chilli to experiment with a different flavor
Step 2. Season the tomatoes
Take a teaspoon or measuring cup. Take a teaspoon of each of the following spices and swirl it over the tomatoes: rosemary, oregano, black pepper, salt and basil. Try to distribute the spices as evenly as possible, otherwise you risk seasoning only some cherries, neglecting the others.
Fresh herbs are preferable to dried ones. A handful of chopped fresh leaves of rosemary, oregano and basil allows you to flavor roasted tomatoes even more than dried herbs
Step 3. Mix the tomatoes with the oil and herbs
Take a spatula and gently stir the cherries into the pan to make sure you distribute the herbs and oil well. Carry out this procedure carefully to avoid breaking the peel of the cherry tomatoes. Also make sure to spread them evenly on the baking sheet so they don't pile up in one corner.
Step 4. Add the garlic
Once you have evenly coated the tomatoes with the oil and herbs, you can add some garlic to finish seasoning them. Take a head of fresh garlic and finely chop 2 small cloves. You can also grate it if you have difficulty cutting it. Take the garlic, distribute it in the pan and mix everything once again.
Part 4 of 5: Roasting the cherry tomatoes
Step 1. Cover the pan
If you want to preserve the moisture of the tomatoes, cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. If so, be sure to make holes in the aluminum for the steam to escape. Covering the pan is optional, but it helps keep the tomatoes from drying out during cooking.
Step 2. Roast them for 15 minutes
After preheating the oven to 200 ° C, place the pan in the center. Tomatoes roast in no time. In fact, cooking shouldn't exceed 15 minutes.
Step 3. Remove the aluminum foil from the pan and add 60ml (4 tablespoons) of Marsala
Adding the wine towards the end of cooking allows you to greatly intensify the flavor of the cherry tomatoes. Marsala is used in many recipes and certainly makes a difference. Stir in the tomatoes and then cook them for another 3 minutes without covering them.
Part 5 of 5: Plate the Tomatoes
Step 1. Remove the tomatoes
Once roasted, you should take them out of the oven and carefully remove them from the juice inside the pan. Collect them carefully, perhaps using kitchen tongs or a skimmer. Move them to a clean container, such as a bowl or plate.
Step 2. Add balsamic vinegar
Pour a few drops of a good balsamic vinegar on the tomatoes and mix them carefully. At this point they should be well seasoned and smell delicious. You can add other toppings or maybe grate some Parmesan cheese to garnish them.
Step 3. Bring them to the table
Now you can serve these delicious roasted cherry tomatoes as a side dish, in salads, to dress pasta or as you wish! They are also an excellent aperitif, to be served with fresh bread, cheese and a glass of wine.
After cooking, you can also store them in the fridge for about 5 days using an airtight container
Advice
- The quality of the cherry tomatoes is better in the summer.
- Buy tomatoes from a local farmer or a fruit and vegetable market to avoid greenhouse-grown produce.
