Savor the vibrant and sun-kissed flavors of Italy with a classic dish that embodies the very essence of Mediterranean cuisine: Pan Roasted Tomatoes with Herbs. This recipe from PIATTO's Nonna Margherita is one of our favorite summer meals!
2 large pan or skillet depending on size of halved tomatoes
Ingredients
5largefresh tomatoesround and ripe; cut in half horizontally
4pinchesfine saltor to taste
2pinchesblack pepperfreshly ground; to taste
3tbspolive oil
½tbspfresh marjoramminced
¾tbspfresh basilminced
3leavesfresh basil
1clovefresh garlicminced
1tspdried oreganopreferably Sicilian or Greek, which are stronger!
Instructions
Prepare the Tomatoes
Cut tomatoes horizontally in half. Remove tomato seeds and the water around them with a small spoon or your fingers. Do this over a large saucepan letting the seeds and tomato water fall into the pan/s where you will cook the tomatoes.
5 large fresh tomatoes
Place all tomatoes cut-side up in the large skillet/s with the tomato seeds. Salt each tomato half generously. After all the tomatoes are salted, turn them face down in the pan.
4 pinches fine salt
Let the tomatoes rest face down in the pan for 30 minutes. The salt will extract water (and bitterness) from the tomatoes. This will give the tomatoes a more concentrated flavor and allow them to cook in their own juice which will reduce. In the meantime…
Prepare the Herbs
Mince together: the fresh marjoram and fresh basil. Mince 1 clove of garlic and add it to the herb mix.
After the 30 minutes, flip the tomatoes back over (cut-side up). Drizzle olive oil generously in the pan, and on top of each tomato. Sprinkle each tomato with a pinch more salt and a pinch of black pepper.
3 tbsp olive oil, 2 pinches black pepper
Distribute the marjoram/basil/garlic mix evenly on each tomato. Coax the herbs into the tomato crevices (where the seeds used to be). Sprinkle the dried oregano on the tomatoes.
1 tsp dried oregano
Cook the Tomatoes
Over high heat, cook the tomatoes covered for about 2 minutes. This will help to extract the most bitter, watery part of the tomato.
Remove the lid and cook on high for 5 more minutes. Add 2-3 fresh basil leaves (whole) for fragrance.
3 leaves fresh basil
Cover the tomatoes again, reduce the heat, and cook for 15-20 minutes—or until tomatoes are tender with a concentrated flavor. During the 20 minutes, spoon the liquid in the pan over the tomatoes every 5 minutes or so as they cook.
When tomatoes are tender, remove the lid. Cook uncovered for about 5 more minutes until the juice in the pan has reduced. Buon appetito!
Notes
Details Matter!It's the little details that make Nonna's recipe so divine— like removing the tomato seeds and taking the time to let the salt extract the water from the tomatoes to concentrate the tomatoes' flavor. Whenever we've been in a rush and skipped these crucial steps, our tomatoes never turn out as good as Nonna Margherita's :) Don't make that mistake!Salt and Olive Oil As NeededWe gave some suggested quantities for salt and olive oil, but ultimately these ingredients are to taste.