Slow roasted confit tomatoes with garlic and herbs
Juicy, sweet and delicious, these slow roasted confit tomatoes are the perfect addition to almost any dish! Served as a side or over fresh pasta, the only thing you‘ll regret is to have only made one tray.
If you haven‘t tried a confit tomato recipe yet, stop whatever it is you‘re doing. I am no stranger to roasted vegetables, but until recently I have focussed on high temperatures and small pieces to get my meal on the table quickly. When I came across a recipe for slow roasted tomatoes I was intrigued, but didn‘t have high expectations. I mean, how good can a tomato really become after spending hours in the oven? Turns out insanely good!
Over the past few weeks I tested a few different temperatures, tomatoes and additions. Last night, I made this batch. And the whole family agreed that these are the bees knees! Let me be clear here: Even my youngest, who made me speak to every single educator in daycare to ensure no one would ever make her eat a tomato ever again, loved it.
It‘s not even been 24 hours since this meal, but here I am, noting it all down. Because with mum brain like mine, chances are I won‘t remember any of what I did tomorrow. I have tried similar recipes with a number of different tomatoes. You‘ll see in my pictures that I even shot a recent recipe using truss tomatoes. But this one here, this is way better!
On the weekend, I found a few plump roma tomatoes on the markets and wanted to give those a try. We‘re in the middle of winter here in Australia, so most of our tomatoes look a bit pale. I can‘t even imagine this dish getting any better than it is, but will most definitely cook it all the way through to summer to see how more seasonal produce changes the flavours.
So anyway, roma tomatoes. I‘m usually not a huge fan of them and often opt for cherry tomatoes in my dishes. Because so many of my recipes are cooked on high temperatures, having a high amount of juices is often a big plus for me. But on lower heat, these delicious egg shaped tomatoes surprised me! They‘re just the right amount of flesh and juice to turn this dish into the perfect addition to your meal. Without further ado, let‘s get cooking.
Slow roasted confit tomatoes ingredients
Roma tomatoes are the star of our show. You‘ll want to use fresh tomatoes to make the flavours pop. If, for whatever reason, tomato season is over and you can‘t find roma tomatoes anywhere, try this recipe with any other type of grape tomatoes or ripe cherry tomatoes you can find.
Fresh garlic – I must admit, I never eat the garlic pieces in roasted vegetable dishes. But garlic is an absolute must to infuse the oil and juices and create this beautiful Italian aroma we all love.
Balsamic vinegar – a little goes a long way.
Brown sugar – I have tried this recipe without brown sugar before, but it‘s just not as good. The slight caramel flavours are the perfect addition to this dish and help make the sauce nice and sticky.
Extra virgin olive oil. This flavorful oil is an obvious choice for anything tomato.
Italian herbs – I love adding Italian herbs to my tomato dishes. Not only are they a staple in my household, but help create a consistent set of flavours my kids seem to enjoy. Use fresh herbs or dried In this easy recipe. Fresh thyme sprigs, oregano and fresh basil are the main ones I look for.
Rosemary – optional, but a little rosemary adds a beautifully rustic flavour to this dish.
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
How to make my slow roasted confit tomato recipe
Because we‘re slow roasting our dish, we will use a low temperature for our oven. High heat would ruin the cooking process and prevent this simple recipe from showing of the taste of summer. I have made this recipe at 120 degrees C/250 degrees F previously, which will take you a good 3 hours to cook to perfection. Last night‘s dinner I cooked at 140 degrees C/290 degrees F for 2.5 hours, which was an ideal amount of time for me to „prep in advance“ without serving dinner super late. Saying this, let‘s pre-heat your oven onto 140 degrees C/290 degrees F.
Wash your roma tomatoes and cut them into quarters. I cut mine lengthwise. Once cut, place all tomato wedges into a large bowl.
Add a little extra olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and Italian herbs to your tomatoes and toss until well coated.
Spread the tomato mixture on aa rimmed baking sheet, deep enough to comfortably hold all juices. You want to aim for a single layer here.
Peel your garlic cloves and cut them into quarters. Spread the garlic evenly over the tomatoes.
Place the dish into the oven and allow it to roast for 2.5 hours or until nice and sticky. Season the end result with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over fresh pasta, grain bowls, or as a side with your favourite vegetables or meat. If you are wanting to keep it super rustic, serve with crusty bread like a slice of my rye sourdough or same day sourdough loaf will be just right.
Other dishes to try
If you liked my slow roasted confit tomato recipe, try these recipes next:
Mixed salad with sautéed mushrooms
High protein spiced sweet potato soup
Rustic homemade lemon drizzle cake
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tomato confit and sundried tomatoes?
Sundried tomatoes, as the name suggests, have been placed in the sun to dry all the way. Sundried tomatoes do not contain any obvious liquid and are chewy and leathery in texture. Confit tomatoes on the other hand have been slow roasted in the oven using low temperatures. Roasting tomatoes for an extended period of time on low heat allows them to slowly soften and caramelise, giving the dish its deliciously sweet flavour. With its simple ingredients it‘s one of those perfect tomato recipes that can be made with any type of garden tomatoes. I have tried whole cherry tomatoes, larger tomatoes like plum tomatoes, or any other type of delicious tomatoes. It‘s always turned out perfect.
Do I need to peel tomatoes before roasting?
No, there is no need for you to peel your tomatoes before roasting. Keeping the skin on gives your tomatoes the support they need to stay somewhat in shape, simply by clinging onto their skin. A lot of people (myself included) don‘t enjoy the harder skin pieces on roasted tomatoes or capsicum. Allowing your tomatoes to slow roast, provides the skin enough time to soften and slightly caramelise. Especially when using smaller tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, opting for a slower roast to soften the skins can save you lots of time. Can you imagine having to peel each cherry tomato? Much easier to slow roast!
How long with roasted tomatoes last in the fridge?
Roasted tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge just like any other cooked vegetable. The general recommendation is to use up cooked foods within 3 to 5 days. As with a lot of tomato based dishes, the flavours will intensify by allowing them to sit for a day, which will likely make you want to finish this mouthwatering batch as soon as possible. I often serve my leftover slow-roasted tomatoes with natural yoghurt as a deliciously light starter or side dish to a starchy base. It‘s a simple way to spice up a dish.
Should I remove seeds before roasting tomatoes?
You do not need to remove the seeds before roasting tomatoes, no. My slow roasted confit tomato recipe calls for a simple quartering of plump produce. Roasting your tomatoes on a baking sheet and low heat for extended amounts of time will soften any harder part of the food, integrating even the most stubborn pieces of skin and seeds. The one time I would remove any seeds is for any dish that should not contain overly much liquid. Removing the seeds prior to adding tomatoes to these types of dishes will provide you with better control over the amount of liquid present.
What can I do with lots of tomatoes?
Next time you find yourself with an excess of good quality tomatoes, trying my slow roasted confit tomatoes is a great way to use up a good kilo in one hit. The delicious sweetness of the dish is the perfect companion to almost any meal and only needs minutes of prep time. If you still find yourself with too much excess produce, opt for making tomato sauce in batches to freeze. A great starting point is my Best Tomato Sauce to freeze recipe.
Slow roasted confit tomatoes
Juicy, sweet and delicious, these slow roasted confit tomatoes are the perfect addition to almost any dish!
Ingredients
- 1kg roma tomatoes, cut lengthwise in quarters
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs
- 2 rosemary sprigs - optional
Instructions
- Because we‘re slow roasting our dish, we will use a low temperature for our oven. High heat would ruin the cooking process and prevent this simple recipe from showing of the taste of summer. I have made this recipe at 120 degrees C/250 degrees F previously, which will take you a good 3 hours to cook to perfection. Last night‘s dinner I cooked at 140 degrees C/290 degrees F for 2.5 hours, which was an ideal amount of time for me to „prep in advance“ without serving dinner super late. Saying this, let‘s pre-heat your oven onto 140 degrees C/290 degrees F.
- Wash your roma tomatoes and cut them into quarters. I cut mine lengthwise. Once cut, place all tomato wedges into a large bowl.
- Add a little extra olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and Italian herbs to your tomatoes and toss until well coated.
- Spread the tomato mixture on aa rimmed baking sheet, deep enough to comfortably hold all juices. You want to aim for a single layer here.
- Peel your garlic cloves and cut them into quarters. Spread the garlic evenly over the tomatoes.
- Place the dish into the oven and allow it to roast for 2.5 hours or until nice and sticky. Season the end result with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve over fresh pasta, grain bowls, or as a side with your favourite vegetables or meat. If you are wanting to keep it super rustic, serve with crusty bread like a slice of my rye sourdough or same day sourdough loaf will be just right.
