Recipes: Roasted tomatoes

Welcome to the first in a series of genuinely simple recipes I’ll be posting to help move a little closer to the balance of eating good food that isn’t complicated and also won’t break the bank. The recipes will also be catalogued on my Resources page.

This is one of my favorite things to cook and eat because it feels special, while still being practical and versatile.

Ingredients:

1 quart grape tomatoes
3 garlic cloves (4 if they’re small), mostly peeled
about 1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to tase
fresh rosemary & oregano to taste (Italian seasoning also works well in a pinch)

(Note: Normally I make double this because we serve it at barbecues and get-togethers with friends, but if you’re just trying it out or prefer smaller servings, this is great.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF
Pour tomatoes into glass baking dish so that they are roughly one even layer (one or two on top is no big deal, but not many should be stacked)
Add olive oil, enough so that tomatoes are about half-covered
Use a garlic press to crush cloves into mixture (if you don’t have a garlic press, you can crush them on a cutting board and then mince it)
Mix well
Bake for 20ish minutes — my oven runs hot so they only needed 20, but a slower oven or a larger batch may need more time
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes
Add rosemary and oregano, stir, and allow to finish cooling
Enjoy over pasta or served on baguette slices with cheese (creamy gouda is best)

Cost about $6, makes about 4 servings

Shoutout to my boyfriend for introducing me to this recipe and being better at making it than I am. What are some of your go-to recipes? Let me know in a comment below, on Twitter @ohgrowup, or Instagram @oh.grow.up. Happy eating!