Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted tomatoes are as beautiful as they are delicious, and you can put them into almost anything. If you are lucky enough to have a garden with sun (sadly I do not) and find yourself with too many tomatoes, roasting them is a great way to keep that summer flavor into the winter. For roasting I like Roma tomatoes. the shape is perfect, and no need to seed them. Some people roast them for hours until they are sort of dried and the flavor very concentrated. I prefer to roast them for less time, yielding a softer and prettier tomato.Making roasted tomatoes is super simple. Slice tomatoes in half or quarters lengthwise. Toss with some olive oil (2-3 TBL) kosher salt, and thinly sliced garlic. If you want to add some heat, toss in some crushed red pepper. Lay them on a sheet pan or cookie tray (I lined mine with parchment) and roast them at 300°F for 1 hour, or until the edges are starting to get a little charred. Move them into a jar, cover with oil, and they will last at least two weeks (as long as they are covered with oil).

I made a little over one and a half pounds, and we used them all in one meal. I recommend making at least three pounds. They can be used for so many things, add to a green salad, whoosh in a blender with beans to make a dip, smash some on toast with goat or other cheese, or make this pasta dish for dinner:

• Cut broccoli into tiny florets,
• Cut up the roasted tomatoes (with a pizza wheel)
• Drain a can of tuna and put that into your colander so when you drain the pasta you heat the tuna
• Blanch the broccoli in the water before cooking the pasta in it. (I used a pound of pasta so we can each have lunch tomorrow too.)
• Toss everything together and add oil and some of the pasta water
• Top with parmesan cheese