Pomodori a Mezzo (Roasted Tomato Halves)

No Roman Jewish Shabbat table is complete without Pomodori a Mezzo–halved tomatoes generously drizzled with olive oil and roasted until they are candy-sweet and lusciously soft. The dish is traditionally made with ruby-colored Casalino tomatoes, a regional variety that is round, slightly flat, and ribbed like a mini pumpkin. If you cannot source them, swap in the best quality ripe tomatoes you can find. Serve Pomodori a Mezzo with crusty bread as an appetizer, or as a summery side dish alongside just about anything.

Recipe shared, with permission, from PORTICO: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen, by Leah Koenig (W.W. Norton, 2023)

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Brush a 9×13 inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Halve the tomatoes crosswise and gently squeeze the halves over a bowl to remove most of the seeds and liquid. Use a spoon if necessary. (Discard the liquid and seeds or reserve for another use.)

2. Place the seeded tomato halves cut side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the garlic, followed by the sugar, salt, and pepper. (Resist the urge to combine the garlic with the seasonings first, or it will be clumpy and difficult to sprinkle.) Drizzle the tomatoes evenly with the remaining oil.

3. Roast for 30 minutes. Give the baking dish a gentle shake then continue roasting until the tomatoes are very tender and beginning to collapse, 30 to 45 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and transfer tomatoes to a serving dish to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature sprinkled with chopped basil and a little more salt, if needed.