These little oven-roasted tomatoes are huge on flavor
What’s most enticing about grape and cherry tomatoes is that, unlike their big sisters, even the store-bought kind can be quite flavorful. Nowadays, most crops are grown in greenhouses and deliver lipstick-red specimens that are sweet and tangy, any time of the year.
But they’re also the very first tomatoes to appear in my vegetable garden, well ahead of the tomato season, and the plants are so prolific that they produce basketfuls of the little jewels from early summer to mid-fall. So, when we tire of eating them raw, I start to roast them!
Here, the tiny fruits are slow-roasted with honey to accentuate their natural sweetness. They turn out unbelievably sweet, with a wonderful tomato-y essence.
One crucial tip: be sure to squeeze out the juice first!
But there is one thing that’s not too appealing (at least to my taste buds) about tomatoes, especially grape or cherry tomatoes: they become little hot, watery bombs when cooked! So, to remedy the problem, we squeeze the juice and seeds out of them before baking them (click on the video icon in the instructions to see how it’s done!). This way, there’s no watery issue; plus, their flavor ends up more concentrated and their texture is preserved.
One of the easiest roasted cherry tomato recipes you’ll find
These honey-roasted tomatoes are wonderfully versatile, easy to prepare, and make a fantastic condiment. Serve them as a side vegetable, toss them with pasta; or make a sauce or dip with them.
Honey-roasted grape or cherry tomatoes
makes 2 cups
active time: 15 min
- 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) grape or cherry tomatoes (5 cups)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Using a paring knife, make two slits at the top of each tomato (in the shape of a cross) and squeeze out the juices and seeds. Place the tomatoes in the roasting pan. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Toss well, spread in a single layer and bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes until all the juices have evaporated and the edges around the pan are golden-brown. Transfer to a container and use right away in your recipe of choice, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Hi Viviane, I am a Mexican cook, just cooked these little tomatoes, and I left then to broil dark and I ate them all!!!!
I thank you for this beautiful recipe, as I had made them with sugar and this are super perfect!
Regards
Can’t wait to start picking some tomatoes and give this a try. Love the sweet roasting!
Viviane, the touch of honey sound fabulous to bring out the rich deep sweetness of the roasted tomatoes. Loved your video 🙂
I love, love roasted tomatoes—the concentrated flavor is really spectacular! Perfect tossed with pasta for a simple meal.
I second that, Liz! Thank you for stopping by.
Roasted veggies are the best, especially any form of tomatoes. What a great tip on ‘juicing’ them and the touch of honey is brilliant.
Thank you so much, Evelyne!
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