Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic and Herbs from Provence

What are Slow Roasted Tomatoes?

This French recipe is a traditional summer side dish known as Tomates à la Provençale. It couldn't be simpler: large tomatoes are halved horizontally and roasted slowly in the oven in garlic, herbes de Provence and olive oil.

It's such a classic but I've switched out the parsley with rosemary and thyme. Parsley is traditionally added at the start of cooking, but I add it at the end to preserve their vitamins and flavour.

The original recipe comes from Andrée Maureau in her handwritten book, Recettes de Provence (1991), gifted by my future parents-in-law - in their home in Provence!

The key to this dish are large tomatoes. If you have smaller Roma ones, then I recommend you try these quick sliced, oven roasted tomatoes which are then chilled and served with mozzarella as a starter or appetizer.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes - Ingredients Needed

• Tomatoes - For best results, pick large, fleshy summer tomatoes that weigh about 200-250g (8-9oz) each: e.g. beefsteak (coeur de boeuf, marmande) or heirloom. Smaller tomatoes collapse too quickly, release excess juice, and can spatter in the oven. Be sure to scoop out the seeds well to reduce moisture.
• Garlic - use garlic cloves from a bulb and avoid dried or powdered garlic. The taste is not nearly the same. If really fresh, cut finely directly but if the clove is a bit older, remove the inner core first to make it easier to digest.
• Herbs - traditionally, fresh parsley is used - but for slow cooking tomatoes, it will lose its flavour and vitamin content. To maximise flavour, use thyme and rosemary, typical herbes de Provence, at the beginning of cooking. Unlike parsley, their oils can withstand the heat (I learned this from my scientist friend, Raphaël Haumont.) So add chopped fresh parsley at the end of cooking.
• Olive oil - the best to use for authentic Provençal flavour. Drizzle rather than pour.
• Breadcrumbs - although often a small sprinkling is added, I prefer without so have marked it optional.

Tomates à la Provençale - Best Dish To Use

Traditionally in Provence, these are baked uncovered in a ceramic gratin dish - it concentrates the flavour and is easier to clean than glass (Pyrex) if juices caramelise.

Temperatures in Provence soared to 42°C this summer. Normally I kick off the holidays by roasting vegetables in a traditional tian de legumes or fruit such as roasted figs or baked apricots with honey and lavender - they just ooze the taste of the south. But when the heatwave hit, I abandoned the idea of sweating over a hot stove. Perks of not working in a restaurant: I can skip the oven torture in the holidays!

So forgive me - these photos aren't quite what I had in mind. The tomatoes were supposed to be gleaming from a rustic Provençal baking dish, shot at my parents-in-law's house with lavender in the background. Instead, after fleeing the heat, I ended up back in Paris. And, of course, I forgot to pick up a dish at the market in Apt! So here they are in a plain roasting tin, but just as juicy, sun-kissed and ready to enjoy.

How to Roast Tomatoes in the Oven - Easy Recipe

It couldn't be simpler to roast them. Preheat the oven to 400°F/180°C
Finely chop the garlic and herbs (rosemary and thyme) or, even easier, use dried herbes de Provence.

Prepare the halved tomatoes: it's important to remove the seeds (scoop out with a little spoon). Seeds contain so much extra moisture that will make your tomatoes collapse and spatter in the oven. The seeds will fill a cup. Don't throw it out: blitz it and freeze or add it to your sauces or this lotte à l'armoricaine or Provençal Sea Bream recipe.

Keep the stem (French: pedoncule) so that there are no holes in the middle! Place them in a single layer on an oiled baking dish. Sprinkle with the garlic, herbs and olive oil, season and bake for at least an hour.

How Long to Roast Tomatoes at 400°F or 180°C?

Large, oven roasted tomatoes need to bake slowly, uncovered - at least an hour to 1 hour 15 mins in a traditional ovenware dish (preferably ceramic) at 400°F/200°C. The garlic, herbs and olive oil just work their magic while roasting.

It's important to mention the size of your tomatoes. In Provence, large fleshy ones, about 250g/8-9oz each, work best: coeur de boeuf (beefsteak), marmande, or Heirloom. Vine tomatoes are good too if they're bigger.

If you really need to cut the cooking time, slightly smaller ones work too although they'll have more water content. Bake for slightly less (35-45 minutes) and keep your eye on them so that they don't collapse.

Serving Suggestions

Roasted tomatoes and garlic are a perfect side dish to all sorts of summer dishes, such as grilled or BBQ meats, roasted chicken. Also delicious with a vegetarian dish of Mediterranean stuffed courgettes with cheese and a Corsican mint omelette.
In fact, they're great with all Mediterranean food.