Roasted Romas with Shallots and Beans

By Dunjab

Roma tomatoes, especially the late summer ones, with dark blush and sweet flavor really shine when roasted. Though early spring Romas transform amazingly well too, they benefit from a touch of oil and
a drizzle of balsamic reduction to dress them and bring out their best qualities.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Roma tomatoes
• 2 medium-sized shallots, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Coarse sea salt
• 1/2 T chopped fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme
• 4 slices Country or Ciabatta bread, one-inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, cannellini or your choice
• G
• arlic clove for bread (optional)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, reduce until thickened, about 2 T
• Few fresh basil leaves, slivered

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Toss tomatoes, garlic, shallots and herbs in olive oil. Spread them out on a baking sheet, with plenty of space. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place in oven
and roast for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are becoming brown and soft, turning every
15 minutes or so. Add beans and roast for another 15 minutes. Place the bread slices in the oven to toast, rub lightly with garlic clove when crisp. Once bread is browned, place on a plate, toss roasted mixture with salt and pepper, balsamic reduction and spoon over bread. Garnish with basil to serve.