Summer plum tomatoes roasted in the oven with garlic and fresh herbs make an easy, flavorful homemade tomato sauce. The slow roasting concentrates the tomatoes’ sweetness and fills the kitchen with an irresistible aroma.
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Late summer is the perfect time to use the vegetables and herbs from the garden. After waiting all season for ripe tomatoes, it’s common to suddenly have more than you can eat fresh. Roasting is one of the best ways to preserve and intensify that peak-season flavor. Over the years I’ve developed a number of tomato recipes for this purpose, including recipes for grape or cherry tomatoes and a garden-style sauce using plum tomatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
Roasting is one of my favorite ways to transform summer tomatoes. Heat reduces their water content and concentrates sweet, savory notes, producing a sauce that works beautifully on pasta or as a base for soups and stews. It’s also a great way to use up a glut of tomatoes and preserve them for colder months.
- Peak-season flavor: Roast tomatoes when they’re ripe and at their best for the most flavorful result.
- Nutritious: Tomatoes are low in calories and provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Make the most of a surplus: Four pounds of raw plum tomatoes reduce substantially when roasted — a generous yield that’s ideal for freezing or canning for later use.
Roasted Tomato Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you’ll need for roasted tomatoes in the oven. Exact measurements appear in the recipe card further down.
- Olive oil — coats the pan and adds flavor.
- Garlic — peeled and thinly sliced to roast alongside the tomatoes.
- Herbs — robust sprigs like rosemary and thyme hold up well in the oven and lend a wonderful aroma.
- Salt and black pepper — basic seasoning to bring out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness.
- Tomatoes — plum varieties such as Roma are ideal, but use whatever is abundant and ripe in your garden or market.
How to Roast Tomatoes in the Oven
A short overview of the method. Full, step-by-step instructions with quantities are included in the recipe card below.
- Prep the tomatoes: Halve plum tomatoes and remove stems.
- Season: Spread olive oil on two large rimmed baking sheets. Scatter garlic and herb sprigs, then toss the tomato halves in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut side down.
- Roast at 450°F: Bake until the tomatoes soften and begin to wrinkle, typically 30–35 minutes depending on size.
- Finish: Let the tomatoes cool slightly, then peel off and discard skins and herb stems. Coarsely chop the roasted tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Store or use immediately.
Variations
- Too acidic? A small pinch of sugar balances the acidity.
- Add fresh basil: Scatter torn basil leaves over the tomatoes after roasting for a fresh finish.
- Onion boost: Roast a sliced onion alongside the tomatoes for added depth.
What to Do with Roasted Tomatoes
- Tomato sauce: Use these roasted tomatoes in place of canned sauce for pasta, meatballs, or seafood dishes.
- Soup: Turn the roasted tomatoes into a rich tomato bisque or use them as a shortcut in any tomato-based soup recipe.
- Topping for protein: Spoon warm roasted tomatoes over fish, shrimp, or grilled chicken and serve with pasta, zucchini, or asparagus.
- Bruschetta and toasts: Top toasted bread with the sweet roasted tomatoes for a simple appetizer or side.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Keep roasted tomatoes in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: They freeze well. Portion and freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Roasted Tomato FAQ
Roasting reduces water and concentrates natural sugars and savory notes, which makes the tomatoes taste sweeter and richer.
No. Roasting first makes it easier to remove the skins afterward.
Salt before roasting so the seasoning can penetrate while they cook. Taste after roasting and add more if needed.
In addition to roasting, try panzanella, fresh tomato salads, tomato sandwiches, gazpacho, or quick tomato sauces—each highlights tomatoes in different ways.
More Tomato Recipes You’ll Love
- Summer Tomato Salad
- Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Summer Pasta with Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini
- Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes
- Candied Tomato Sauce
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Summer plum tomatoes roasted with garlic and herbs make a versatile sauce: concentrated, lightly sweet, and perfect for pasta, soups, bruschetta, or freezing for later.
Prep: 20 mins · Cook: 30 mins · Total: 50 mins
Yield: 7 servings (about 3 1/2 cups)
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 lbs plum tomatoes (such as Roma), halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Divide the olive oil between two large rimmed baking sheets. Scatter the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper across the pans.
- Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and remove stems.
- Toss the tomato halves in the oil and seasonings, then arrange them cut side down on the baking sheets.
- Roast until the tomatoes wilt, soften, and begin to wrinkle, about 30–35 minutes; timing will vary by tomato size.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. The skins will peel off easily—discard skins and herb stems.
- Coarsely chop the roasted tomatoes, taste and adjust salt, and transfer to a jar or container. Use immediately, refrigerate, or freeze.
Notes
Makes about 3 1/2 cups of cooked roasted tomatoes. Cooking yield is calculated from finished volume, which will differ from the uncooked weight.
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup)
Calories: 53 kcal · Carbohydrates: 8.5 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 2 g · Fiber: 1.5 g · Sugar: 5.5 g · Sodium: 282 mg · Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
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