Slow-cooked tomatoes with basil

4.50 (4)
⏱ 255 mins 🍽 Makes enough to fill 3 x 500ml jars 🌶 italian ✅ More effort 🏷 Side dish

This Italian dish transforms small tomatoes into a flavourful preserve. Halved tomatoes are seasoned and slow-roasted for several hours until semi-dried and chewy, with basil added towards the end. They are then packed into jars and covered with warm, peppercorn-infused olive oil. The result is an intensely flavoured, versatile item suitable for a buffet, side dish, or snack, and it keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Slow-cooked tomatoes with basil

Ingredients

  • 3kg small tomatoes from the vine, halved
  • 4 tsp herbes de Provence
  • large bunch basil leaves only
  • 500ml light olive oil plus extra for drizzling
  • 2 tsp black peppercorn

Method

  1. Set your oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Arrange the halved tomatoes on two large baking trays with the cut sides facing up. Season them with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the herbes de Provence, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
  2. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for about 3-4 hrs, until they are semi-dried, a deep red colour, and have a chewy, dry centre. You can test the texture by tasting one.
  3. For the final hour of cooking, place a small basil leaf or a torn piece of basil on top of each tomato half.
  4. Warm the 500ml of light olive oil with the black peppercorns in a saucepan.
  5. Pack the cooked tomatoes into jars or other heatproof containers and pour the warm oil over them to cover completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

Skill levelMore effort
CategorySide dish
Cuisineitalian
DietVegetarian