| Yield: | 40 tomato halves |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground white pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, split, germ removed and finely sliced
- 10 basil leaves, torn
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
- 2 bay leaves, broken
- 20 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil evenly over the pan. Sprinkle the oil with salt and pepper. Strew a little of the garlic, basil, thyme, and bay leaves over the oil. Cut each tomato lengthwise in half and carefully, with your fingers or a tiny spoon, remove the seeds. Lay the tomato halves cut side down in the pan, wiggling the tomatoes around if necessary so that each tomato has a floss of oil on its cut side. Using a pastry brush, give the tops of the tomatoes a light coat of olive oil. Season the tops of the tomatoes with salt and pepper and a little sugar, and scatter over the rest of the garlic, basil, thyme, and bay leaves. Slide the pan into the oven and bake the tomatoes for 2 1/2 hours, or until they are very tender but still able to hold their shape; turn the tomatoes over at half-time and open the oven for just a second every 30 minutes or so to get rid of the moisture that will build up in the oven. Cool the tomatoes to room temperature on their pan. When the tomatoes are cool, transfer them to a jar, stacking them neatly. Pour whatever oil remains in the pan over the tomatoes and then, if you plan to keep the tomatoes longer than 1 or 2 days, pour in enough olive oil to cover and refrigerate.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 40 servings |
| Calories | 15 |
| Total Fat | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 76 mg |
Reviews
Delicious,I did them with skins on and after an hour gently pulled them off and continued baking. Baked them for 4 hours , because I had 2 pans in oven. Rotated them half way. Added a lot more basil and thyme.
Be carefull with the Bay Leaves. Persian are more supple than California Bay Leaves. These CAN choke a person. New York Times had a huge lawsuit a long Time ago because recipe did not stipulate to remove Bay Leaves and a person’s throat was injured. Be Very Aware, especially if Novice Cook/Baker.Since quite pungent, remove before ingredients go into a jar or in bowl to serve…
I just made this for the second time, after buying a huge bag of tomatoes at a farmer’s market. They are so delicious! With my oven, I find that 3 hours is perfect. I also find it easier to roast them with their skins, as it is quicker to just slip the skins off when they’re cooled. This is most definitely a great side dish, and they are wonderful on sandwiches, as well. I’m sure they would make an awesome sauce, too!
I am an avid tomato fan, i love them, they are the best fruit on the face of the earth! This recipe was great and i will DEFINETELY use it again.
Fabulous method which produces intense tomatoe flavor. As is, makes a great side dish. If pureed, is a wonderful sauce. Can be varied by adding fresh basil or parsley, etc. Keeps refrigerated a long time so can be made ahead.