Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jan 21, 2026 It’s amazing how a handful of cherry tomatoes can transform into something so flavorful. I roast them with balsamic vinegar until they’re sweet, jammy, and bursting with rich flavor. This Roasted Cherry Tomatoes recipe is incredibly easy to make and one of my favorite ways to elevate everything from pasta for serve it as an appetizer with crusty bread.
Why You’ll Love Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
There’s nothing quite so magical as those few weeks between the seasons. Personally, I love the time when late summer and early fall overlap. The sun is strong, but the days start to get shorter, and there’s a slight chill in the air.
Perhaps best of all, there are lots of fresh veggies to enjoy!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
If you’re like us, you probably have a great bounty of tomatoes by the end of the summer. Garden-fresh tomatoes are perfect for making a variety of easy homemade recipes, like zesty salsa, old-fashioned tomato jam, and chimichurri tomato salad!
And of course, tomatoes are delicious as part of Italian-inspired dishes. We love this simple Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes recipe that uses ripe cherry tomatoes, kissed with garlic and sweet balsamic vinegar.
It’s a fabulous way to use up end-of-season tomatoes and is a terrifically versatile side dish/condiment. Use balsamic roasted tomatoes on salads, sandwiches, in soups, and on charcuterie boards. You can bring some of that bright summer flavor to the top of main dish proteins, or serve it as a snack with burrata and toasted bread…
Or best of all, use it as a no-fuss pasta sauce. Just toss the oven-roasted tomatoes with fresh cooked pasta and some freshly shaved parmesan, and dinner is served!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This is a fantastic fresh tomato recipe with only 6 simple ingredients, but it tastes wonderfully complex and satisfying.
- Ripe cherry tomatoes – or grape tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil – or preferred high heat neutral-tasting oil
- Garlic – minced
- Fresh thyme – or dried thyme – see notes in the recipe card
- Aged balsamic vinegar – high quality is best
- Granulated sugar – just a touch to balance the acidity and caramelize the tomatoes
- Salt and pepper – to taste
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, serving tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Preheat the oven – First, I preheat my oven to 400°F and set out a large rimmed baking sheet. Using a rimmed pan helps catch all of those delicious juices the tomatoes release as they roast.
Season the tomatoes – I rinse and thoroughly dry the cherry tomatoes before spreading them onto the baking sheet. Then I drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before sprinkling on the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and a little sugar. I gently toss everything together until the tomatoes are evenly coated. Finally, I spread them into a single layer and season generously with salt and pepper. Giving the tomatoes plenty of space helps them roast instead of steam.
Roast – I roast the tomatoes for 30–40 minutes, until they’re beautifully wrinkled, bursting, and caramelized around the edges. The pan juices should become thick and syrupy. That’s where so much incredible flavor comes from.
Serve or store – At this point, I can serve the roasted tomatoes warm as a side dish, spoon them over toasted bread, or refrigerate them until I’m ready to use them in another recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve these warm right away, or you can refrigerate the roasted cherry tomatoes until ready to use. As the tomatoes cool, their juices thicken into a lovely glaze that makes them wonderful to serve as a silky condiment on bread with fresh soft cheese like burrata or mozzarella, or hard cheese like manchego or pecorino.
This saucy tomato condiment is also great on charcuterie boards, or as a topping over other dips, such as whipped ricotta or whipped cottage cheese dip.
I even like to serve it as a topping for main dish protein… Image a scoop of these little jewels over a hot ribeye steak or grilled chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
And of course, I love to toss the whole pan of of juicy toms with cooked pasta, fresh basil, and a little parmesan cheese. Heaven!
Tips & Tricks
- For a smooth tomato sauce, place the roasted cherry tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth, then pour it over the pasta!
- Especially during the summertime, feel free to add bigger tomatoes like roma or heirloom tomatoes to the mix too! Just cut them up into smaller chunks. A variety of different tomatoes will add some different flavors.
- If you have a summer garden, throw in some zucchini or spinach too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot and fresh roasted tomatoes are delicious in soups, like creamy tomato soup, or on Italian sandwiches or burgers. Enjoy as a snack or side with a hunk of toasty bread, on a charcuterie board, or just by themselves with a fork!
Elevate this simple pasta dish with other yummy seasonal veggies, like asparagus (cut and roasted with the tomatoes) or fresh spinach. For an even heartier meal, add mozzarella cheese, chopped cooked chicken, or sautéed shrimp to the finished dish.
Use your favorite GF-friendly pasta to pair with the balsamic roasted cherry tomato sauce. You can also mix with zucchini noodles for a low-carb option.
Balsamic cherry tomatoes will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. Use them cold or reheat them briefly in the oven or microwave.
More Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Video
Ingredients
For the Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes –
- 2 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, halved of whole)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Rinse and dry the cherry tomatoes, then place on the baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and sugar over the tomatoes. Gently toss to coat.
- Spread the tomatoes out in a single layer. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very wilted, and the pan juices have started to thicken.
- Serve warm, or refrigerate until ready to use.
This recipe is so delicious & our kids love it, even better!! Is it possible to can this sauce, so we can enjoy in the colder months? Any specific instructions? Thanks!
I make giant pans of this and freeze it in 1 cup freezer molds, then vacuum seal when solid. Awesome way to get some summer freshness in the dead of winter!
LOVE this recipe. a great tip?After draining the spaghetti, put spaghetti back in it’s warm pot and fold in the parmesan cheese (I doubled the parmesan)… makes this dish more silky. Then fold in the roasted tomatoes, and fold in the basil. That pot keeps everything hot! Ready to serve.
This was FANTASTIC!!! So easy and fresh flavor. I had a ton of cherry tomatoes and needed a recipe to put them in, I also added asparagus. This was actually very filling however, grilled chicken or grilled shrimp would be so good in this also! This is a definite winner in my house :)
I always make cherry tomato pasta but never thought of roasting them first. Thanks for sharing;)
I used these balsamic cherry tomatoes for our pizza party, it’s a crowd favorite! The guests can’t resist its bursting flavors, sooo satisfying!
These cherry tomatoes are so beautiful and yummy! My kids love them. I used them for pasta and it was soooo good, no one can resist!
I could seriously just eat these all day!! Tomatoes with balsamic glaze are the best!! Love them alone & in this pasta!! So good!
A neighbor shared some garden fresh cherry tomatoes with us, and this recipe was perfect! I could eat it for lunch and dinner, it is so good!
Yum!! Simple, but bursting with flavor!! Love roasted tomatoes!
Oh wow! This sounds wonderful and the perfect addition to our pasta! Such a quick and easy dinner recipe. Beyond excited to make these tomatoes tonight!
These roasted tomatoes are the best with pasta! Such a great recipe!