Roasted Sheet Pan Cherry Tomatoes

In our house, we call the copious amount of cherry tomatoes, or agvaniot, we consume our “daily kilo,” and aside from snacking on them or throwing them into salads, this is what I do with them the most. An olive oil–splashed roast in a hot oven yields a kitchen staple with a thousand applications, whether as a topper for Labaneh or a star turn in Roasted Tomato and Labaneh Pappardelle.

Makes 3 cups

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

2 pounds (6 cups) cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Dump the tomatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Give the baking sheet a shake to coat the tomatoes. Roast until the tomatoes are shriveled and some of the juice releases onto the pan, 20 to 25 minutes (you don’t want to take these too far because then that juice will evaporate, and basically that juice adds the essence of tomato flavor straight from the heavens into anything it touches). Allow the tomatoes to cool, and make sure to scrape up and use the slightly jellied juices that collect on the pan.

Note

To use as a hummus topping (see cover for a pic): Spoon 1 cup of the finished roasted tomatoes and their juices over 2 cups prepared hummus of your choice. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve with Cardamom-Kissed Schug.