Silky Tomato Toasts
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 16 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 16 servings
- Calories
- 188
- Total Fat
- 12
- Saturated Fat
- 2
- Carbohydrates
- 18
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 5
- Protein
- 4
- Cholesterol
- 0
- Sodium
- 331
- Total: 1 hr 20 min
- Active: 15 min
Ingredients
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar, plus more to taste
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 loaf country-style bread (about 1 pound)
1 to 2 tablespoons za’atar
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Torn fresh mint leaves, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk the vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl.
- Lift the tomatoes out of their liquid. Slice off any hard stem ends. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and juice inside with your fingers; save all the extra seeds and juices for another use (such as bloody marys or gazpacho). Add the tomatoes to the bowl with the olive oil mixture and toss to coat them completely.
- Spread out the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and pour any mixture remaining in the bowl over the tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes until they’re drier on the outside, plump and juicy inside and caramelizing around the edges, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Taste a tomato and season with a few more pinches of sugar if desired; the tartness and sweetness should be balanced.
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler. Slice the bread lengthwise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Cut each piece in half crosswise, then cut on the diagonal to create triangles. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and drizzle it with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. The surface of the bread should be saturated with oil; add more if necessary (loaves can vary in size). Mop up any oil pooled on the baking sheet by moving the bread around. Sprinkle za’atar all over the bread so it’s generously covered and season it with salt and pepper. Broil the bread, watching it closely, until lightly golden brown and toasted.
- To serve, drape several tomatoes over each piece of bread and shower the tomatoes with parsley and mint.
Cook’s Note
The tomatoes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.