Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese
I had a bunch of small tomatoes in the fridge that were beginning to soften and begging to be used, as well as some fresh mozzarella leftover from a recent pizza night. But since it was chilly outside, and I wasn't really feeling the classic tomato/mozzarella salad, I did my usual Google search when uncertain what I want to do with must-use ingredients, and I came across Bon Appétit's recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese. It’s super easy to make…while the tomatoes roasted away in the oven, I snuck off to continue filling the firewood boxes both inside and outside the house, and when I was finished, so, too, were the tomatoes. I threw a baguette in the oven for the last 10 minutes, which I highly recommend for soaking up the delicious garlic- and thyme-infused olive oil. It might just be my new favorite way to eat tomatoes and mozzarella. I failed to take a picture, so I'm reposting Alex Lau's (for Bon Appétit) for now.
Ingredients
2 pints cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
8 ounces fresh buffalo or cow mozzarella (about 1 ball), room temperature, torn into large pieces
Flaky sea salt
Country-style bread, brushed with oil, toasted in oven (for serving)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss tomatoes, thyme, garlic, and oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat and season lightly with kosher salt. Spread out in a single layer and roast until tomatoes are bursting and lightly browned, 40–45 minutes; let cool.
Arrange mozzarella on a platter and spoon warm tomato mixture with juices over; sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with olive-oil-toasted bread for soaking up all those extra juices.
Note: Tomatoes can be roasted 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Gently reheat before using.
