Roasted Tomatoes with Cerignola Olives

Delicious, easy, and elegant, this roasted tomatoes and olive recipe is perfect as a shareable app or an accompaniment with your preferred protein. While we love juicy, fresh tomatoes in plenty of recipes, roasting them in the oven like we do here removes some of their moisture, concentrating and intensifying their flavour. Those summer tomatoes last longer than just a season with this dish. Surprisingly versatile, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this recipe before! (Not a fan of olives? You can totally skip them in this recipe and enjoy the seasoned tomatoes solo.)

 

How to Roast Tomatoes

Roasting tomatoes is an easy and pretty hands-off process. While other recipes may require you to stir constantly and keep an eye on them through every step, this dish benefits from being on its own. The following steps will help ensure you have perfect roasted tomatoes:

1. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Not only does this allow for an easier and faster clean-up, but it will help you transfer the tomatoes to a bowl after they’re done cooking. Simply pick up the edges of the parchment sheet and fold it just enough to loosen the tomatoes to slide into your bowl to mix with the olives.
2. Slice tomatoes in half, even the smaller ones. Spread them out on your baking sheet and position them so that their cut sides are facing up to ensure that they’re properly roasted inside and out.
3. Season! Seasoning is such an important part of this recipe. Before the tomatoes go into the oven, we season them with tomato paste, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar will also work to help impart a delicious tang. If you’d like, you can also add some salt and pepper prior to cooking, as well as after.
4. Allow to roast. While you may be tempted to move your tomatoes around, leave them be. This recipe doesn’t take long, since the tomatoes roast at a higher heat. Watch them and remove from the oven when they appear shrivelled and slightly browned around the edges.

What Tomatoes to Use

In this recipe, we’ve opted for grape and cherry tomatoes. Smaller tomatoes like these varieties don’t take as long to roast, making them an excellent option for busy weeknights or if you’re meal prepping. Larger varieties of tomatoes will take longer, so you’ll need to check on them periodically. Whatever tomatoes you use, we suggest choosing ones that are of a similar size so that they all cook for the same amount of time.

Roma Tomatoes: This is a type of plum tomato frequently used in canning and making tomato paste. They have an elongated egg shape, firm texture, and smooth skin. They aren’t very juicy, making them ideal for cooked applications like roasting. Roma tomatoes have a slightly sweet, mildly acidic flavour.

Plum Tomatoes: While all Roma tomatoes are plum tomatoes, not all plum tomatoes are Roma tomatoes. This variety is also often used in pastes and sauces, thanks to their meaty flesh and firm texture.

Campari Tomatoes: These smaller, round tomatoes are often found in stores still on the vine. Campari tomatoes are soft, tender, and very juicy. They have balanced sugar and acid levels, giving them a delicious sweetness that would be exceptional in this recipe.

Grape Tomatoes: One of the varieties we use in this dish, grape tomatoes are small and slightly oblong. They have a meaty flesh and thicker skin. While not as sweet as cherry tomatoes, they are less watery. This variety is available in most stores.

Cherry Tomatoes: The other variety we use in this recipe, cherry tomatoes are almost perfectly round, much like the red fruit from which they get their name. They are intense in flavour, extremely sweet, fresh, and juicy.

 

Types of Olives

While this is a roasted tomatoes recipe, it also uses olives. If you’re not a fan of olives, you can simply omit them and still enjoy the tangy, savoury tomatoes on their own. If you do like olives, though, you might want to know more about them. In addition to being stuffed with everything from almonds to blue cheese to garlic and red peppers, there are some varieties of olives that are full of flavour all on their own. You can find the following olive varieties in Farm Boy stores:

Castelvetrano Olives: These Italian olives come from Castelvetrano, Sicily. They have a bright green colour and a mild, buttery flavour. For those who don’t like briny olives, Castelvetrano is a great choice.

Cerignola Olives: Harvested in Cerignola in Italy’s Puglia region are these large green olives. Ideal for stuffing, they have a crispy, buttery flavour and pair well with garlic and cheese. (These are the olives used in this recipe.)

Kalamata Olives: Arguably the most recognizable of all olives are the Kalamata olives from Greece. A deep purple-black colour, these almond-shaped olives have a rich, smoky, and fruity flavour. They’re commonly found in salads and tapenades.

Manzanilla Olives: The olive you might picture when you think of olives is the Manzanilla olive of Spain, which is often stuffed with the iconic red pimento. Found in everything from martinis to hors d’oeuvres, these olives have a smoky, salty, and nutty flavour.

 

Ways to Use Roasted Tomatoes

There are so many delicious ways to use roasted tomatoes! The concentrated flavour of these little gems is great in pastas, salads, sandwiches, and more. Some of our recommended ways to use them are:

• On a slice of toast. Take a slice of our best-selling Sourdough Batard, toast it, and smear with our recipe for Herbed Ricotta Spread. Top with your roasted tomatoes and enjoy! Fresh burrata would also be an excellent cheese choice to pair with these oven-roasted tomatoes. You can also top a piece of toast with these tomatoes and a poached egg for a sophisticated and wholesome breakfast.
• Toss them into a pasta. Use longer noodles like Linguine or Spaghetti and some ricotta and Parmesan cheese for an easy dinner. Finish with fresh herbs just before serving.
• Throw them into a salad. Use these roasted tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes in recipes like our Mediterranean Barley and Chickpea Salad, Mediterranean Style Farro Salad, or Mozzarella al Pesto Salad. They’ll provide a rich, robust flavour that contrasts well with other fresh veggies.
• Blend them into homemade tomato soup, pizza sauce, or pasta sauce. Roasting tomatoes unlocks a delicious umami flavour that adds depth and complexity to soups and sauces that you don’t get from raw tomatoes.
• Add them to veggie lasagna. If you’re making this layered Italian dish, throw in some of these oven-roasted tomatoes for an extra pop of flavour.
• Top homemade pizza. These would pair beautifully on a pizza made with our authentic frozen Pinsa Dough.
• Stir your roasted tomatoes into beaten eggs. Mixed along with some shredded cheese, you have the makings of a gourmet quiche or frittata.
• Spoon over grilled chicken breast or steak. Pair with some leafy greens on the side, it’s a fantastically flavourful meal.
• Intrigued by the concept of compound butter? You can make gourmet butter yourself by mixing softened butter with roasted tomatoes that have cooled. Add whatever fresh herbs you like (we’re partial to chives and thyme for this) and stir until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Then, enjoy with everything from baked potatoes to pasta!

Roasted Tomatoes and Tapas

In addition to using this recipe in any of the above ways, these roasted tomatoes also work beautifully as part of a tapas spread! Popular in Spain, tapas are small plates of food that can be shared with family and friends to create a whole meal. Some more Farm Boy recipes we recommend pairing with this dish are:

Spicy Garlic Shrimp: Loaded with garlicky, spicy flavour, this simple shrimp dish uses sherry vinegar, chili peppers, and olive oil. (You can sub out the sherry vinegar for red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead.) Be sure to serve this tapa with crusty bread to soak up all that infused oil!

Red Wine Braised Chorizo: Beautifully flavoured with authentic seasonings, this dish uses our Spanish Chorizo and dry red wine to make a wonderfully shareable tapas dish. Echoing the flavour of the red wine vinegar used in our roasted tomatoes recipe, it’s spicy, savoury, and superb.

Grilled Scallops with Salsa Verde: An elegant seafood dish, herbaceous salsa verde and meaty scallops are the star of this recipe. The brightness of the salsa verde is a delicious accompaniment for the roasted tomatoes, which develop a deeper umami flavour profile in the roasting process.

 

Other Ways to Season Roasted Tomatoes

We love the tang of red wine vinegar, the pungency of garlic, and the simplicity of salt and pepper to let these tomatoes shine. However, there are plenty of ways you can season this recipe. Some of our recommendations are:

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Craving a bit of a kick? A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes after your tomatoes have been removed from the oven will do the trick! Be sure to add the red pepper flakes after cooking rather than before so that they don’t burn and turn bitter.

Dried Herbs: Like the red pepper flakes, we don’t want our herbs to burn in the oven since these tomatoes cook at such a high temperature. Sprinkle a bit of dried thyme and oregano immediately after you’ve pulled them from the oven to add a wonderful herbaceous quality.

Parmesan Cheese: Cheese and tomatoes go together like, well, cheese and tomatoes! Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds a touch of decadence to this dish, as well as a creamy, savoury note. You can garnish with some freshly chopped basil as well for a pop of colour and more flavour.

 

How to Store Roasted Tomatoes

If you’re not planning on using your roasted tomatoes immediately, you’ll need to properly store them to maintain their flavour. After roasting, allow them to come to room temperature. If you plan to use them within the next few days, we suggest storing in the fridge. To do so, transfer the roasted tomatoes to a tight-fitting glass jar and place in the fridge. Stored this way, they will keep for three to five days.

If you’re looking to use these tomatoes later and want to freeze them, you can do that, too! Again, allow them to come to room temperature before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or storage container. Place in the freezer. Stored this way, they can be kept for up to four months.

 

More Tomato Recipes from Farm Boy

Looking for more tomato recipes? Check out any of the dishes below!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Spinach

Turkish Style Stuffed Vegetables

Tomato, Avocado, and Burrata Salad

Barbecue Baked Brie with Summer Vegetables and Balsamic Glaze

Classic BLT Sandwich

Four Cheese Sundried Tomato Dip

Herbed Tuna and Chickpea Salad

Dill Baked Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes

Mediterranean Barley and Chickpea Salad

Creamy Olive and Sundried Tomato Spread

Cheesy Spinach and Sundried Tomato Frittata

Baked Cherry Tomato Goat Cheese Dip

 

More Olive Recipes from Farm Boy

Looking for more olive recipes? Check out any of the dishes below!

Antipasto Salad

Mediterranean Style Farro Salad

Creamy Olive and Sundried Tomato Spread

Greek Quinoa Bowl

Chopped Italian Salad

Antipasto Skewers

Mediterranean Bean, Kale, and Quinoa Salad

Italian Charcuterie Board