Roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic show their versatility
As a chef and cookbook author, I always enjoy a challenge. So, given what we are all going through around the globe, I have tasked myself with developing dishes that offer a burst of flavor with few ingredients.
I’ve been combining various components to add to simple dishes to amp up their flavor, and I’ve come up with a recipe for a delightfully rustic cherry tomato and garlic sauce. It should be easy to find the basic ingredients for this dish. Hopefully, most of them are already in your pantry.
This dish reminds me of a lunch I enjoyed at a Venetian trattoria I visited a few years back. While none of us will be traveling anytime soon, it’s uplifting to enjoy a taste of Italy.
A colorful variety of cherry tomatoes are available right now; they are a cook’s best friend while we await the real tomato season. They have little bursts of sweet flavor when tossed into a salad and are a nice surprise when roasted in the oven, allowing their rich, intense flavor to come forward.
Rustic in presentation, this recipe can be served right out of the baking dish, so use a pretty one that can come to the table.
Serve this with a mixed green salad. The sauce is also delicious spooned over a simple piece of roasted or grilled fish, or you can spoon the sauce on top of toasted French bread slices. I often add a dollop of ricotta cheese or a grating of Parmesan cheese on top of the tomato mixture and serve it as a lovely appetizer. A glass of sparkling wine would be a nice addition to this meal.
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