Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

Method

  • Preheat oven to 300 F. and coat bottom of a 13-by-9 inch baking dish with 3 tablespoons oil.
  • Cut a thin slice from stem end of each tomato and arrange tomatoes, cut sides down, in dish.
  • Bake tomatoes 30 minutes.
  • Baste tomatoes with pan juices and bake 30 minutes more.
  • In a small bowl stir together sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle over tomatoes.
  • Bake tomatoes 30 minutes more (1 1/2 hours total).
  • Mince garlic and in a skillet cook with parsley in remaining 3 tablespoons oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Season parsley mixture with salt and pepper.
  • Serve tomatoes topped with pan juices and parsley mixture.