Roasted tomatoes, almond paste & capers - the sun of the south in a dish

Slow-ripened tomatoes in the oven, a paste of toasted almonds and capers, a drizzle of oil: Sicily invited to the table, with no other effort than a little patience.

The Italian gesture that changes everything

This is the kind of dish you eat in Sicily on a July evening, on a tablecloth that was used the day before, with a bit of toasted bread and a glass of fresh white wine. Nothing spectacular - just tomatoes that have been left to do their thing, an almond paste that crowns them, a handful of capers for the saltiness. The secret is in the time: the tomatoes release their water, concentrate their sugar, and become almost a jam, still fleshy, burning on the lip.

The ingredients (for 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main course)

• 8 round tomatoes of good quality, neither too ripe nor too firm
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, skin on
• Fresh oregano and thyme, salt, pepper

For the almond-capers paste:

• 100 g of shelled almonds
• 2 tablespoons of salted capers (rinsed) or vinegar capers (drained)
• A small bunch of basil (10-12 leaves)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
• Pepper, very little salt (the capers salt)

Step-by-step

The tomatoes, to prepare first. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-assisted). Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, place them side by side on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut sides up. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, sprinkle with oregano and thyme, slip the whole garlic cloves between the tomatoes. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes: the edges should be colored, almost caramelized, the flesh melting.

The almond paste, while the tomatoes are roasting. Toast the almonds dry in a pan for 4 minutes, shaking: they should smell good and barely change color. Set aside, let cool. Put them in the bowl of a blender with the capers, basil, lemon. Blend in pulses, adding the olive oil in a thin stream, until you get a thick but supple paste. Taste: adjust pepper and lemon. We want a paste that remains a bit grainy - it's this grain that makes all the difference.

The presentation. Take the tomatoes out of the oven. Place a generous spoonful of almond-capers paste on each tomato half. Serve warm, with toasted bread rubbed with raw garlic.

Tips & variations

• Without almonds: toasted cashews work very well (softer texture), or pine nuts for a more resinous note.
• Add an olive: a whole taggiasche placed on the paste, in a crown, is very pretty and very good.
• As bruschetta: confit tomato + paste, on a slice of toasted country bread, perfect aperitif.
• The rest of the paste keeps for 4 days in the fridge, in a jar, olive oil on top. Excellent on hot pasta, with a little cooking water to loosen.

The right moment

A dinner on the terrace, when the evening has finished burning and the air smells of oregano. We eat slowly, we dip, we laugh - and we haven't done much, except let the tomatoes become themselves.