22 Tasty Tomato Recipes

Tomatoes are the versatile culinary darlings of cultures across the globe with numerous recipes featuring them. This plant from the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of vegetables, including eggplants, potatoes, and peppers, originated in Central and South America before migrating to Europe in the 1500s. While it has since become common, it was initially viewed with skepticism and considered toxic due to the deadly interaction between its inherent acid and the pewter plates on which it was served, which would result in lead poisoning.

Today, the most heated debate regarding the tomato lies in whether you should consider it a fruit or a vegetable. Botanically speaking, this plant is a fruit since it is a sweet, seed-bearing berry. Logistically speaking, it has long been regarded as a vegetable because of how it is typically cooked and consumed. From a legal perspective, tomatoes were declared a vegetable by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1883 in the landmark case of Nix v. Hedden, per The University of Vermont.

Whether you consider the tomato a fruit or a vegetable, its chameleon-like qualities are undeniable. This plant handily morphs from sauce to soup to salad with just a little know-how. In my roughly 18 years as a professional chef, tomatoes have long been a favorite ingredient of mine in many recipes. Several of these are reflected in this compilation of tomato dishes from the Daily Meal archives. Read on for some tempting tomato taste-spiration.

The simplicity of this dish is masked by the complex flavors derived from baking the feta with the slightly spicy heirloom tomatoes. The resulting sauce is creamy, salty, and umami-rich, thanks to the caramelization of the natural sugars in the tomatoes.

While you could use any pasta for this dish, fusilli, penne, and farfalle would all have a delightful al dente texture and plenty of nooks and crannies to hold the sauce. And don't forget to reserve the drained pasta water. The starches in the water will help the sauce to adhere to the pasta without interfering with its flavor.

Recipe: TikTok-Inspired Feta Pasta

Vine-ripened tomatoes picked at their peak in the summer shine at their best in a classic pico de gallo. This chunky spin on salsa is ideal for chips or to top your favorite Latin dishes, like tacos or nachos. The key is to chop the vegetables into uniformly small pieces to make them easily scoopable.

For spicier pico de gallo, chop the seeds and membrane of the serrano pepper right into the mix. For more measured heat, slice the peppers down the center lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane before chopping them. And don't forget to wear gloves!

Recipe: Spicy Serrano Pico De Gallo

Commercially produced taco sauces are readily available in most grocery stores. Many lack the nuanced flavor to transform our Mexican dishes into spectacular creations. This easy-to-make homemade version relies on the transformative nature of ground spices and dried herbs to impart a robust taste to canned tomato sauce.

The key is to allow those seasonings to infuse the tomato sauce by simmering them together for at least 10 minutes. If you need more heat or are looking for a funky twist on a classic, try scooping in a dollop of gochujang. This fermented chili sauce will take your taco sauce game to the next level.

Recipe: Simple Homemade Taco Sauce

Shrimp and grits may be a Southern comfort food staple, but cornmeal in the form of polenta made from more delicate flint corn is a common ingredient consumed in the culinary traditions of countries surrounding the Mediterranean. This spin on the Southern classic is an homage to this heritage.

The key ingredients transforming this from Southern fare to Mediterranean specialty are the tomatoes, olives, and feta, popular in many Greek dishes. Make sure you purchase peeled and deveined shrimp to expedite the assembly of this quick and easy dinner. And don't forget to thaw them before use if they are frozen.

Recipe: Mediterranean-Inspired Shrimp And Grits

No recipe round-up featuring tomatoes would be complete without including a pizza. This healthy yet delicious iteration takes advantage of the bounty of fresh summer vegetables, showcasing them on a homemade whole-wheat pizza crust. While the crust takes a little extra time and effort to make, it is well worth it in terms of flavor and texture.

Instead of plain marinara, try using a spicy Arrabiata sauce to jazz this pizza up. And if you cannot locate the chili onion crisps, you could accent this pizza with bacon bits, crumbled spicy potato chips, or crumbled french-fried onions.

Recipe: Whole Wheat Summer Vegetable Pizza

This refreshing summer salad capitalizes on the fact that tomatoes are fruit by pairing them with creamy avocado and strawberries. The key is to make sure your tomatoes are ripe when they are sweeter and have good acidity to balance out the other fruits.

If you are feeling extra fancy, try investing in burrata. This variation on mozzarella is stuffed with fresh, sweet cream. When you cut into it, the cream oozes out, lathering the rest of the ingredients in a luxurious bath of decadence that mingles perfectly with the olive oil and balsamic. Don't forget to season this salad with salt and pepper before serving.

Recipe: Strawberry-Avocado Caprese Salad

This simple, tasty spin on a classic ratatouille dish features fresh summer vegetables, including tomatoes and zucchini, that get layered into a baking dish and topped with a combination of panko breadcrumbs and cheese. The result is a bubbling, golden, crisp crust that delicately envelops the seasoned vegetables.

While you could serve this as a side dish or entrée, it could easily be transformed into a savory breakfast when finished with over-easy eggs and served with crusty bread. And even though you may be tempted to, do not use plain bread crumbs instead of the panko; they do not have the same crisp texture when cooked.

Recipe: Cheesy Tomato And Zucchini Casserole

Marinara is delicious but can be overly acidic for some. A delightful and perhaps more filling alternative for those wanting a full-flavored ragu that will highlight the freshness of tomatoes while imparting slow-cooked umami-rich meatiness is a classic Bolognese.

While this recipe features ground beef, you could easily substitute any meat, like pork, veal, lamb, turkey, or venison. You could also use a combination thereof. A mixture can create complex flavor while adding much-needed moisture to lower-fat meats. Lastly, don't skimp on the Parmesan cheese here. This is the time to use freshly grated authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, not the pre-grated stuff in the green jar.

Recipe: Simple Bolognese Sauce

The tomatoes in this recipe burst with flavor as they bake alongside the pesto-crusted salmon, releasing moisture that will help steam the salmon and keep it moist while creating a perfect side dish for the fish. Opt for the wild Pacific sockeye salmon for this recipe; its deep crimson-hued flesh is richer in flavor and has a luscious, meaty texture.

Do not overcook your salmon, or it can dry out. I recommend using a meat thermometer to test the fish. Once it has reached 140 degrees F, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for five minutes before serving.

Recipe: Pesto-Baked Salmon

This beef chili uses three different types of beans, each having a distinct texture and color for a complex, slow-cooked feel. The beans are simmered with aromatics, spices, tomatoes, and chilis for just 20 minutes for a hearty meal that will titillate your taste buds.

Add some cocoa powder and Chinese five spice to give this a sweet and savory Cincinnati chili vibe. You can also toss in some booze to jazz things up. Stout beer and red wine both have tannins that will confer cooked-all-day flavor in a short amount of time. Deglaze the pan with the booze before adding the beans and liquid.

Recipe: Southwest Chili

Though not too dissimilar to Spanish rice, this recipe uses more tomatoes. Canned, chopped tomatoes, and sauce are added to the chicken stock to help cook the rice.

While unspecified, this dish would work best with a long grain of rice, such as basmati or jasmine. These have a distinctive, nutty, fragrant flavor that makes them ideal for this recipe in contrast with the heat of the chili powder, the smoke of the cumin, the acidity of the tomato, and the brightness of the cilantro. Again, if you do not like cilantro, leave it out or swap it with Italian parsley.

Recipe: Classic Mexican Rice