Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Last year I wrote about a recipe that Molly Wizenberg had written about in Bon Appetit magazine about a dish called Pomodori al Forno, which she called the best appetizer in Seattle. I tried it and agreed that it was, in fact, the best appetizer in Seattle. And I had never even been to Seattle.

A year later, I still make this dish, and I still believe that it is the best appetizer in Seattle. And I still haven't been to Seattle.

Plump Roma tomatoes are slow-roasted with sugar, salt, oregano, and a year's worth of olive oil in a 250 degree oven for 2 hours.  They are then let to rest with freshly chopped garlic, parsley, and another year's worth of olive oil for two hours so that the flavors can marry.  

The end result is a fragrant, smooth, soft, and fresh dish that is served with crisp baguette slices that are used as a vessel to get said tomatoes into my mouth.

I made this a few weeks back when Jack and I went to Long Beach Island with two friends of ours.  The dish is also supposed to be accompanied by fresh goat cheese, but my friend who was at dinner does not like cheese. And he is Italian. For shame.

I highly recommend making this dish.  Although it takes some advanced preparation, it has been my go-to summer appetizer for the past year.  

And one day, I'll make it to Seattle.

Pomodori Al Forno - Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 cups (or more) olive oil, divided

2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley

1 baguette, thinly sliced crosswise, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°F. Pour 1/2 cup oil into 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup oil. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar, and salt. Bake 1 hour. Using tongs, turn tomatoes over. Bake 1 hour longer. Turn tomatoes over again. Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring tomatoes to plate when soft (time will vary, depending on ripeness of tomatoes), about 15 to 45 minutes longer.

Layer tomatoes in medium bowl, sprinkling garlic and parsley over each layer; reserve oil in baking dish. Drizzle tomatoes with reserved oil, adding more if necessary to cover. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. DO AHEAD Cover; chill up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

And just for poops and giggles, let us take a look at my photo of this dish from last year (August 15th, 2008)

Comments

[Andrea@WellnessNotes]

Oh, I love, love, love tomatoes. This dish sounds and looks sooo good! I just want to reach into my laptop and take some tomatoes, and oil, and bread...

[Lauren]

I will be bookmarking this one!

[jenn]

Those tomatoes have my name written all over them. I'll eat anything with tomatoes in it. This is no exception. Yum!!!

[Tracey]

I love that top photo! So gorgeous! This looks delicious.

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Sounds absolutely delicious! I love tomatoes. I am going to save this one for the next time we have friends over for dinner!

[Carolina]

This dish does look great. I really enjoyed reading both past posts. Very good. I love the LBI scenery. I long to go back on vacation! I have never been to Seattle really, just the airport on a layover to gorgeous Alaska. I would love to go one day. Then, again, I would love to go almost anywhere! Great post!

[Sugar B]

I am so digging those pictures! :)

I love tomatoes. I wish I have a garden so I can grow those suckers.

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

Yum! So perfect on a nice toasted bread!

[Nicole]

This is the appetizer of my dreams. Simple, delicious and you can make it 5 days ahead? Wow. Thanks for the tip on the Blanc Manger, too :)

[Phyllis (me HUNGRY!)]

Omigosh, I'm in LOVE. I don't think I could wait for 2 hours to eat this. And you need to get yourself to Seattle ASAP. Especially Pike Place market - I almost moved there for that reason alone.

[grace]

so i know that roasting tomatoes is one of my favorite ways to eat them, if not my absolute number one choice. however, i've never involved delicious olive oil in the process--that would clearly take them above and beyond! thanks for posting this recipe and method!

[Charli]

That looks stunning and sounds delish! I'm with Nicole--anything you can make 5 days ahead is right out of a dream :)

[Wendy]

I'm so going to make these one day. YUM.

[Sarah]

Those look amazing!!! I'm reading Molly's book right now and this recipe is in it, and I've been meaning to try it... Yours look so beautiful, I'm going to have to make it sooner than later!

[Jennifer]

These look delicious!

Just for giggles....my husband once accidentally ordered "pasta pornodoro" from Olive Garden. He was embarrassed, and I couldn't stop laughing.

[Mike]

I HAVE lived in Seattle (for 12 years) and never had these! Now I have my own garden and tomato plants and STILL haven't tried this. Course, I'm waiting for red tomatoes .... still green. This dish looks amazing - I agree. Perfect for late summer when all the toms are ripe!

[Sophia]

oh my god, total perfect GOLD on good crusty bread! and with feta or goat cheese...MmmmmM!

[Barbara]

I've made these, but serve them with mozzarella and basil. Roasting in the oven gives tomatoes such a dense flavor; next time I will add some crusty bread.

[Kristen]

That looks incredibly easy! Yum!

[Hilary]

Just came over to say how much I love your site too, and I'm greeted by the most beautiful photo! This is too funny, my sister just posted about a very similar recipe yesterday: http://www.kitchenist.com/cooking/snacks-etc/sweet-but-not-treat-homemade-sunblushed-tomatoes/1160

I'll have to send her over here to see your recipe. We call them sunblushed tomatoes.

[Ashley]

The amount of oil does kind of freak me out but the tomatoes look really delicious!

[Stacey Snacks]

T,
I roast cherry tomatoes every week with a splash of balsamic and keep them in the fridge for crostini toasts.
My favorite snack! especially w/ a swipe of ricotta cheese!

[alice]

I live in Seattle and have never tried this.. so ty, I am going to now.

[Lori]

Teanna, these tomatoes look gorgeous.

[Cookin' Canuck]

I remember reading that article by Molly Wizenberg and thinking that I had to try that I recipe. Then it somehow got lost in my piles and piles of cooking magazines. So, thank you for the reminder. I am printing this out immediately!