Slow-Roasted Tomato & Burrata Toast
A late-summer lunch that's mostly waiting.
This is a recipe for two pints of cherry tomatoes that have started to look tired. The oven does almost everything — slow heat collapses them into something between a roast and a confit. The olive oil they sit in becomes the dressing, the bread, and half the dinner.
I make a double batch and keep the leftovers in their oil, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. They go onto pasta, eggs, sandwiches, and grain bowls without complaint.
Method
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Slow-roast the tomatoes
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pile the tomatoes in a 9×13 baking dish or heavy skillet. Tuck in the garlic and thyme, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast undisturbed for 75–90 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and started to char in spots and the oil around them is deeply red.
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Toast the bread
Bring a grill pan or heavy skillet to medium-high heat. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and toast 2–3 minutes per side, until you have dark grill marks and a hollow sound when tapped. Rub each piece, while still warm, with a peeled garlic clove.
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Assemble
Pull the thyme sprigs from the tomatoes. Place a toast on each plate, tear a generous piece of burrata over the top, and spoon the tomatoes and a little of their oil onto everything. Tear over basil, finish with flaky salt, and — if you have it — a few drops of aged balsamic.
From the comments
2 notes from people who cooked this.
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Linnea J.
I made this with the last of my CSA tomatoes — half cherry, half tiny plums — and it was the perfect way to send off August.
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Reggie F.
Used the leftover tomato oil to dress a kale salad the next night. Felt like a wizard.
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