There was a bit of a kerfuffle on the interwebs over this (very good) barefoot contessa recipe.
One published version called for roasting the tomatoes for 25 to 30 minutes at 450º. Another (almost identical) recipe called for two hours at 275º. Some folk were writing comments about their tomatoes being burned to a crisp, others about how theirs were a soggy, sodden mess.
Bother!
Fortunately, one smarty gave a cool hint about prepping the tomatoes; once you’ve halved and seeded ’em, prick the bottom with a knife. This will help the tomatoes drain as they roast, leaving you lovely, intensely flavored roasted tomatoes.
I opted for the lower cooking temperature, and ended up roasting my tomatoes for 2-1/2 hours total. Worked a treat.
INGREDIENTS
•12 plum tomatoes
•1/4 cup good olive oil
•2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
•2 tsp garlic powder
•2 tsp sugar
•1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
•Freshly ground black pepper
Heat your oven to 275º and line a large, rimmed baking pan with foil.
Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, then remove the seeds and core.
With the tip of a sharp knife, punch a slit through the bottom of each tomato half, then arrange, cut side up, in a single layer on the foil lined pan.
Whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together and drizzle over each tomato.
Season with the garlic powder, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper, then pop into the oven for two hours.
Mine still had a bit of liquid pooled in the tomato bottoms, so I tipped that out into the pan and returned them to the oven for another 30 minutes.
Perfection!
Serve the tomatoes warm, or at room temperature. I found they worked best when I cut them into thin strips and added ’em to stuff – like these rye waffles topped with smoked salmon rillettes, red onion, and capers.