Oven roasted tomatoes :: Healthy bites for a healthy New Year

Tomatoes, as with all other veggies, become tender and sweet when roasted. The longer they're roasted the sweeter and more tender they become and their water content diminishes. Roasted tomatoes have an altogether unique flavor - one that is richer and bolder. They're great eaten alone, work beautifully as a side to any entree, with eggs or as a topping for pasta. 

If you haven't had a roasted tomato in a while, or ever, we think you should try them again. To make our oven roasted tomatoes, we used an assortment of small heirloom tomatoes, cut them in half, drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, then added a smattering of sea salt, dried Italian spices such oregano, parsley and crushed pepper. At the end of their cooking time, we topped them with a little bit of Parmesan for extra flavor. What resulted was simply divine. A healthy, low calorie treat to start the New Year off on the right foot. These could be served on a bed of sauteed spinach, over a nice flaky white fish, even with roasted potatoes. 

Ingredients:

1 quart sized  container (or more) of baby, grape or any small tomato - red or any color.
Olive oil to drizzle, approximately 1 tablespoon per quart
Sea salt, to taste
Italian herbs such as oregano, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, to taste
Parmesan (or Asiago or Reggiano) Sprinkled over the top - a couple of tablespoons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet
Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes
Sprinkle salt and seasonings, to taste, over tomatoes
Bake for 25 minutes, checking for doneness. If they are getting brown too quickly, turn heat down to 350. If still watery bake another 10 or so minutes. (The longer you roast or bake them, the less watery they will become.)
Sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. 
Remove and enjoy immediately!