Colin + Tanay

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes on Toast

Cherry tomatoes roasted with basil, garlic and olive oil, spooned over toast.

Servings
4

Three slices of toast per person, as an appetizer.

42 min

Ingredients

Tomatoes

  • cherry and grape tomatoes — about 1 pint per 2 people; use half cherry for juiciness, half grape for a meatier texture
  • fresh basil — a handful, enough to line the dish
  • garlic cloves — peeled and gently smashed
  • extra virgin olive oil — generous, to infuse and coat the pan
  • fine sea salt
  • sugar — balances the acidity and boosts caramelization
  • red pepper flakes — optional, or black pepper

Bread

  • crusty bread slices — about 3 slices per serving, sourdough or baguette

Steps

0–3m

  • Heat oven

    Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F. Do this while you prep the tomatoes.

  • Tomatoes

    Step 2

    While the oven heats, peel the garlic cloves and gently smash them with the flat of a knife.

3–5mmeanwhile: Heat oven still going

  • Tomatoes

    Step 3

    Lay the basil leaves flat to cover the bottom of a wide baking dish or rimmed sheet pan.

5–9mmeanwhile: Heat oven still going

  • Tomatoes

    Step 4

    Scatter the smashed garlic and the tomatoes over the basil bed. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, the pinch of sugar and the pepper flakes. Toss gently to coat, letting the basil rest at the bottom.

9–10mmeanwhile: Heat oven still going

  • Bread

    Step 5

    Once the tomatoes are in the oven, slice the baguette into small pieces and set them aside ready to toast.

10–33mmeanwhile: Bread still going

  • Roast

    Step 6

    Get the dish into the oven and roast on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes: the basil gently fries in the infused oil while the tomatoes plump, burst and shrivel.

33–36m

  • Roast

    Step 7

    Press any tomatoes that did not pop with the back of a spoon. If there is too much loose liquid, run the pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken the juices to a jammy consistency.

36–40m

  • Toast bread

    Step 8

    Once the tomatoes are out, toast the bread slices in the same oven for 3 to 5 minutes until warm and crunchy. This also gives the tomatoes a few minutes to settle and cool.

40–42m

  • Serve

    Step 9

    Spoon the warm garlic-and-basil tomatoes and their oil over the toasted bread, or serve family-style in the pan with bread alongside for dipping.

Notes

  • Plan on about 1 pint of tomatoes per 2 people.
  • Half cherry, half grape works well: cherry tomatoes get juicy, grape tomatoes hold their shape.