Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula and Grana Padano

After being clobbered with an unexpected end-of-season snowstorm, I am more than ready to start enjoying some of my favorite springtime meals. While it is still too early in the season to really think about planting and picking your own fresh tomatoes, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy what’s available at the grocery store. The recipe that I’m sharing with you today was inspired by television’s Chef Michael Smith, and uses some nice store-bought vine ripen tomatoes.

I recently watched Chef Smith prepare roasted tomatoes, and I knew that this was the perfect dish to help kick-start spring fever. Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite salad and sandwich condiments, and I love grilling up tomatoes in the summer, so I was very anxious to give roasted tomatoes a try. The recipe is as simple as slicing up up a few tomatoes into four to eight pieces each (depending on how small you prefer the slices), tossing them with olive oil, some salt and pepper and some fresh basil, then oven roasting them for an hour. The aroma of the roasted tomatoes is absolute heavenly. Once slightly cooled, these babies are simply amazing. The tomatoes develop a rich, robust, sauce-like flavor enhanced by the natural sweetness. The olive oil, salt, pepper and basil add a delicious punch to the tomatoes…they literally explode in your mouth.

I served the tomatoes on top of arugula, then topped the salad with a little more olive oil and fresh shaved Grana Padano cheese, which is a popular Italian cheese that is similar in taste and texture to Pecorino Romano or Parmesan. The rich, sweet tomatoes were a perfect complement to the peppery arugula and sharp cheese. This salad is definitely a spring-time must…but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it now. And don’t forget the crusty bread and red wine!

Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula and Grana Padano

(you can adjust all measurements to your liking)
2-4 vine ripen tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
a handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
arugula
Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350˚. Cut the tomatoes into 4-8 pieces each, depending on how small you would like them. Toss the sliced tomatoes in a bowl with some olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and the basil, making sure that all of the tomatoes are evenly coated. Place them on a baking tray, making sure that the pieces don’t overlap. Bake the tomatoes for one hour.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly.

To serve with arugula – place the cooled tomatoes on the arugula, drizzle with a little more olive oil, top with some shaved cheese.

Step one: cut the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil.

Step two: spread the tomatoes evenly on a baking sheet.

Step three: after an hour in the oven, let cool slightly.

Step 4: enjoy the tomatoes on a salad, sandwich, or on their own!