Michelle Sparks' Roasted Cherry Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes – sliced in half lengthwise
2 garlic cloves – chopped fine
1 TBSP olive oil (depending on how juicy the tomatoes are)
1 tsp fine sea salt
8 oz fresh mozzarella (or buffalo mozzarella) – cut into 1/4” slices
2 tsp olive oil (reserved till the end)
1/4 cup fresh basil – roughly chopped/torn
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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STEPS

Yields: 1 large lunch portion, 2 side portions or 4 small starter portions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Place sliced cherry tomatoes in a medium bowl, add in chopped garlic, olive oil and salt, toss until everything is combined.
2. Pour tomatoes in a baking dish and distribute into one even layer
3. Place in preheated oven & bake for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to brown a little but before they begin to caramelize or burn.
4. In the meantime remove fresh mozzarella from its liquid and let dry on a paper towel for 15 minutes. Cut into thin slices and distribute evenly onto the serving plate.
5. Roughly chop or tear the basil leaves and set them aside.
6. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, let them cool for 15 minutes (they’ll still be a bit warm at this point).
7. Spoon tomatoes and their juices over the prepared mozzarella on the serving plate until you’ve used all of the tomatoes
8. Sprinkle torn basil leaves and drizzle reserved olive oil here and there to top off the salad. Add cracked black pepper at this point if using.
9. Serve & enjoy!