Tomato Garlic Confit
This tomato garlic confit combines juicy cherry tomatoes, soft garlic, olive oil, and herbs with creamy feta. Spoon it onto toast or toss it through pasta for a tangy, savory burst of flavor.
The tomatoes soften in the oven while the garlic mellows and the oil takes on the herbs. Add the feta after cooking so it keeps its creamy texture.
This is a useful way to enjoy ripe cherry tomatoes. For a quicker stovetop option, try my Italian pan fried tomatoes.
Treat the finished confit as a refrigerated dish, rather than a shelf-stable preserve. Make a small batch to enjoy soon, or freeze portions for later.
Quick Look: Tomato Garlic Confit
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes.
- 🍳 Cooking: Low oven roasting, until the tomatoes and garlic are soft. See the timing note in the steps.
- 🍽️ Servings: 4.
- 🥣 Main ingredients: Cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, feta, lemon, herbs, and chili flakes.
- ➡️ Method: Arrange tomatoes and garlic → add oil and seasonings → roast until tender → add feta → refrigerate promptly.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥢 Best served with: Crusty bread, pasta, grilled chicken, or fish.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- The oven does most of the work while the tomatoes and garlic soften.
- Creamy feta balances the sweet tomatoes and rich olive oil.
- Use it as a topping, a pasta addition, or a side for grilled proteins.
Recipe Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes: Choose ripe, unblemished tomatoes. A mixture of colors makes the finished dish especially pretty.
Garlic: Use peeled whole cloves. They should become soft enough to mash easily after cooking.
Olive oil: Carries the garlic and herb flavors. Use an oil you enjoy the taste of.
Feta cheese: Adds a salty, creamy contrast. Cube it and add after the tomatoes have cooked.
Lemon: Lemon wedges add bright flavor. Remove any visible seeds.
Fresh herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and basil bring fragrant flavor. Use your favorites from the recipe card.
Chili flakes, salt, and pepper: Add gentle heat and seasoning. Taste before adding extra salt because feta is salty.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use grape tomatoes or cut larger tomatoes into similar-sized pieces. The cooking time may change.
- Swap fresh herbs for dried Italian herbs, using a lighter hand because dried herbs are more concentrated.
- Skip the feta for a dairy-free version, or serve the tomatoes over whipped feta instead of mixing it in.
- Add a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar when serving for a sweeter, tangier finish.
How to Make Tomato Garlic Confit
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Arrange the tomatoes, peeled garlic, lemon, and herbs in a snug oven-safe baking dish. Add olive oil and seasonings, leaving the feta out.
Step 2: Roast until the tomatoes are tender and the garlic is soft enough to mash. Begin checking after 20 minutes, but expect whole garlic to need longer at this low temperature. Continue cooking until tender.
Step 3: Remove from the oven and let the mixture cool briefly. Add the feta, then transfer to a clean shallow container for prompt refrigeration.
Step 4: Refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 4 days, or freeze portions for longer storage. Spoon out only what you need with a clean utensil.
💭Top Tip
Check a garlic clove before taking the dish out of the oven. It should mash easily with a fork; if it is still firm, continue cooking and check again.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a snug dish so the oil surrounds the tomatoes and garlic without needing an excessively large amount.
- Choose tomatoes of a similar size so they soften evenly.
- Keep the feta out of the oven and add it after cooking.
- Use the flavorful oil in pasta or over toast, following the same storage limit as the confit.
- For another savory side, try my Italian sauteed mushrooms.
How to Serve Tomato Garlic Confit
Spoon the tomatoes, garlic, and feta onto toasted sourdough or bruschetta. Mash the garlic lightly so it spreads into the bread.
Toss through cooked pasta, or add to my creamy chicken pasta. It also makes a flavorful topping for Italian chicken cutlets, grilled fish, or a bowl of rice.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Refrigerate promptly in a clean covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 4 days. Freeze portions for longer storage. Garlic and herbs in oil are not safe to store at room temperature.
Olive oil can turn cloudy or solidify in the refrigerator. Spoon out the portion you need and warm it gently rather than leaving the whole container on the counter.
Yes. Dried Italian herbs work well; start with less than you would use for fresh herbs and adjust to taste.
Whole cloves can need much longer than tomatoes to soften at a low oven temperature. Continue cooking until a clove mashes easily, rather than relying only on the clock.
Yes. Freeze in small portions and thaw in the refrigerator. You can leave the feta out of the portion you freeze and add fresh feta when serving.
Storage guidance follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation guidance for garlic in oil.
More Italian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this tomato garlic confit or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Tomato Garlic Confit with Marinated Feta
Ingredients
- 1 lbs cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 pc lemon (cut into wedges)
- 6-8 large cloves of garlic (peeled)
- 100 gms feta cheese (cubed)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary, thyme, basil)
- 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a baking dish or an oven-safe glass container, add the cherry tomatoes with all the other ingredients except the feta cheese.
- Pop the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender and the garlic has browned up nicely. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and the garlic is soft enough to mash. Begin checking after 20 minutes, but allow longer as needed; whole garlic may take substantially longer at 200°F.
- Take this out of the oven, allow it to cool down completely.Remove from the oven and let the mixture cool briefly.
- Now transfer the contents into a clean glass jar, add the feta cheese and cover everything with the remaining olive oil. Add the feta and transfer to a clean shallow container for prompt refrigeration.
- Refrigerate for up to a week and enjoy on your morning toast. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Do not store at room temperature.
