The Best Recipes For Fresh Tomatoes

It's impossible to imagine what the world's culinary landscape would look like without the tomato, but here's the thing: we almost didn't eat them.

The tomato's history is fascinating, starting with a single species that only grew along a small patch of South America's western coast. The University of Illinois says that new varieties started popping up around 80,000 years ago, and it wasn't until the Age of Exploration of the 16th and 17th centuries that the tomato spread to Europe.

At first, it had a rocky start. According to the Smithsonian, it was called the "poison apple" for a long time, because it was believed they were killing the upper class. Truthfully, they kind of were: the highly acidic tomatoes were being eaten off pewter plates, which would result in lead being leached into the food. The tomato was also put into the scientific family of the deadly nightshade plants, and that didn't help the plant's PR problem.

We didn't really start eating tomatoes on a regular basis until well into the 18th and 19th centuries, even in Italy. (Grand Voyage Italy says that even though the tomato was known in earlier centuries, it didn't become super popular until the late 1700s!) Fast forward to today, and we love tomatoes. Not only are they a staple in countless foods, but we know how healthy they are, too. So, let's get creative with tomatoes and explore some of the best recipes for using some fresh out of the garden!

This fancy-sounding French dish isn't as difficult as you might think, and instead, it's a decently simple way to get a delicious — and healthy — meal on the table. "En papillote" simply means "in paper," and it's basically a way of cooking salmon, wrapped in parchment paper with fresh, halved grape tomatoes. Our recipe for herbed salmon en papillote takes less than an hour from start to finish, and most of that is a half-hour cook time. A busy schedule doesn't mean compromising on dinner, so get fancy!

Let's be honest: we love cooking and food as much as anyone else, but clean-up is the worst. Enter: our one-pot pasta with spinach and tomatoes. This dish has everything you could want, from hearty, filling portions to fresh spinach and tomatoes ... not to mention, everything's better with some parm on top, right? Best of all, there's some flexibility here: use either large varieties of tomatoes, or smaller, just as flavorful grape and/or cherry tomatoes. You're going to want to be careful chopping — save that juice! You'll taste the difference, trust us!

Whether you've got guests or you're just looking for a way to dress up a summertime dinner for you and your significant other, we have just the starter for you – our simple caprese salad. This is particularly brilliant if you've got some super fresh tomatoes on hand — maybe from the farmer's market, or out of your own garden. Why? The flavor of your fresh tomatoes isn't going to get lost, as with only a few ingredients, each and every one gets to stand alone. This is one dish you're going to want to savor.

Pico de gallo is an absolutely brilliant way to make the most of your fresh tomatoes. Think of it as a sort of raw salsa where all the flavors are front and center, and we have a couple of recipes for you. In one, you'll be using lemon and your choice of vine-ripened tomatoes — along with a food processor — and getting a pico de gallo that's the texture of your typical salsa. Our other pico recipe is heavier on the hot peppers, uses cherry tomatoes, and you'll be chopping everything by hand for a chunkier topping. Why not try both?

A healthy salad is a great way to get your veggies, and we're not afraid to say our cucumber tomato salad is bound to become a summertime favorite for all tomato lovers. While we use some cherry tomatoes, we've made this with a variety of tomatoes, and they're all phenomenal. Pro tip: choose a few different varieties (and even some different colors) for a stunning presentation. Pro tip #2: this isn't just a great side dish for serving along with anything that comes off the grill, but it's a lovely lunch just by itself!

Zoodles is the dish that's as fun to say as it is to make, and if you haven't tried them, you should know that they're basically "noodles" that are spiralized zucchini. While you can mix them with a can of tomato sauce and call it a day, we have a super simple zoodles recipe that's just as easy, but gives it just a little boost with some simple additions. Instead of a heavy sauce, we add pesto, parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes for a delicious but low-carb version of pasta that might just be the perfect light summertime lunch.

Lunch can definitely get a little boring, especially when we get wrapped up in a busy day and just don't have time to do anything but throw something between two pieces of bread and call it a day. If that sounds familiar, you'll definitely need to check out our avocado tomato salad for something unique that comes together almost as quickly as a sandwich. With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of stirring, you'll have a fresh, tasty salad that's guaranteed to put your sandwich to shame.

Marinara sauce is the unsung hero of so many dishes — where would pasta night be without it? Sure, you can pick up some jars at the grocery store, but we have a brilliant recipe for a slow cooker marinara sauce that might change your mind about your grocery list. We use canned tomatoes, but give you some tips on using fresh tomatoes, too. After eight hours in the slow cooker, you'll have a versatile sauce great for a number of dishes. It's so good, you might just find yourself planting a tomato plant on your back patio!

Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi is one of those store-brand items that people just love to stock up on when they see it — it's that good! We use it as the base for our Trader Joe's 5-ingredient gnocchi that gives it just the extra kick that it needs to become a full — and filling — meal. Best of all, this is a quick and easy option for Meatless Monday, and there'll be no complaints about being hungry an hour after dinner. We opt for cherry tomatoes, but you can definitely add the smaller grape tomatoes instead.

A nicoise salad is one of those salad options that sounds almost painfully fancy, and while it's definitely a full lunch just by itself, it's also not as difficult to make as you might expect. There's a massive bonus with our nicoise salad recipe, too: if you like tuna but hate ruining it with mayo, our tuna is mixed with just some red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. There's no mayo here! With the addition of some lovely salad greens, fresh, halved tomatoes, olives, and hard-boiled eggs, you've got a brilliant salad full of protein and healthy choices.

Honestly, our puttanesca recipe is pretty much guaranteed to become a new family favorite — especially if you're a fan of pasta, but aren't always in the mood for something that's swimming in sauce. It's surprisingly easy to make, and calls for some ingredients — like pasta, capers, olive oil, and chili pepper — that you're bound to have in your kitchen already. Add some fresh grape tomatoes and some anchovies for a unique kick, and you've got a full meal. Bonus? If there are any leftovers, they're just as good served cold the next day!

What, exactly, is tabbouleh? This Mediterranean dish is sort of a combination of a salad and a grain side dish, all folded into one. The grains come in the form of bulgar, while the greens are things like mint, parsley, and cucumber. Add some fresh cherry tomatoes and a handful of other seasonings, and you've got a delicious salad with a light dressing that's perfect for entertaining. Why's that? Making this dish ahead and letting it sit in the fridge — while you do what else you need to do! — is only going to make the flavors pop even more.

It's completely legitimate to think of gazpacho as a sort of cold vegetable soup, because it's definitely cold, and it's definitely made up of all your favorite fresh produce. In addition to tomatoes, we're talking about bell peppers, cucumbers, onion, radishes, and fresh herbs like cilantro. Roasting the red peppers is the most complicated thing about this recipe, and there's a huge bonus here, too: our gazpacho soup recipe will stay fresh in the fridge for days after you make it, for anything from a quick lunch to an even quicker snack.

While we definitely love a quick and easy recipe, there are also nights where we want to take our time in the kitchen ... preferably with a drink! That's where things like this late summer ratatouille come in, because even though it's a little time-consuming, that doesn't mean it's complicated. This French dish is going to require a lot of fresh produce — like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant — and that means a lot of chopping. But trust us when we say it's worth it in the end: Ratatouille is a French staple for a very good reason!

Sure, you can make the same old scrambled eggs, or fried eggs, or even an omelet — but check out our recipe for huevos rancheros for a fun way to dress up your morning eggs. And honestly? This one's so good that we think it's definitely one more reason that having breakfast for dinner needs to become more of a thing. Our fresh salsa is the perfect accompaniment to the sunny-side-up eggs, and there's avocado there, too! You can add some hot sauce or hot peppers for a spicy kick, but you definitely don't need to: the flavor's there!

Twice baked potatoes are one of those sides that might seem like they're more effort than they're worth, but with some help from our twice baked potatoes recipe, you'll find that's not the case at all. In fact, these take just 15 minutes of prep time, and that's not bad, right? Where do the tomatoes come in? There's no limit to the number of ways you can top twice baked potatoes, but we're a fan of adding chopped tomatoes, sour cream, and some scallions. And maybe some finely diced bacon, because everything's better with bacon, right?

The only thing better than a recipe that makes a delicious dish is one that makes enough to leave some incredible leftovers for lunch the next day, and that's definitely the case with our antipasto salad. While this pasta dish might be something you'd only think of making for a backyard BBQ where there's a ton of people, it's a great side that tastes even better after it's been in the fridge for a few days. That's when the flavor really comes together, and there's a lot of flavors in this one!

What are egg muffins? Exactly what you'd guess! These handy breakfast muffins are made in your standard muffin tin, but instead of being flour-based, they're essentially scrambled eggs with all kinds of goodies added. We suggest using cherry or grape tomatoes, but really, the sky's the limit. Add some cheese, some hot peppers, spinach ... basically, anything you might want to put into scrambled eggs or an omelet! You'll just need to keep moderation in mind, because these are supposed to be an easy-to-eat, on-the-go breakfast ... and filling your tins too full will result in a messy situation.

The vegetable at the heart of our deceptively easy caponata recipe is one that you might not use very often, and that's eggplant. Not everyone might care for eggplant (it's a texture thing, right?) and in that case, caponata is the way to go. Frying the eggplant is one of our first steps, and there's so many other ingredients — like fresh tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, olives, and capers — that eggplant isn't going to be the only thing you taste. Serve it over greens, pile it on a baguette or our bruschetta, or even serve it over noodles or rice!

There are some foodie opinions that are highly polarizing, and there are some that there's just no arguing: included in the latter is the fact that gyros are just amazing. You might think of this as just a popular street food, but with help from our super simple gyro recipe, you'll be making these at home on a regular basis. We opt for a steak gyro (but there's plenty of other options), and besides, we all know it's the tzatziki — along with the fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion — that really make this one a favorite!

While pasta might be frowned upon by anyone who's trying to cut back on carbs, not all pasta dishes are created equal — and pasta primavera is a great way to get your pasta fix while including some seriously good-for-you foods. In addition to fresh grape tomatoes, our pasta primavera recipe also calls for lots of zucchini, asparagus, yellow squash, and fresh basil — and you can definitely get creative with this, and add some extras like chickpeas, mushrooms, or chicken. The light, red wine vinegar sauce will work with a variety of additions, so you'll never get bored!

While many dishes can stand on their own as a whole meal, sometimes, you just want something light on the side to break things up. That's where our Greek salad comes in. Not only is this Greek salad full of delicious produce, but it has a light, slightly spicy dressing that acts almost as a palate cleanser, and it's a perfect complement to anything you're serving as a main dish. When it comes to tomatoes, any type will be brilliant with this: dice large, vine-ripened tomatoes, or slice up some cherry or grape tomatoes — either way, will work! 

We don't have to tell you that there's nearly no limit to the number of things that salsa is great on — whether you're snacking on nachos, making tacos or scrambled eggs, or even dressing a Mexican-inspired burger, salsa is awesome. Sure, you can pick some up at the grocery store, but if you happen to have some fresh tomatoes and just a few other ingredients — like lime, onion, garlic, and hot peppers — you have everything you need for our salsa recipe. We're not messing around when we say this fresh version is better than anything you can pick up at the store!

Dinner should definitely not be boring every night of the week, and while sure, you want to feed your family some well-rounded and nutritious meals, sometimes, you just want a giant plate of nachos. Our sheet pan nachos are exactly what you're looking for, and there's a bonus to this: it's not just nachos and cheese, there's some good stuff in there, too! There's a ton of fresh produce, and you can also add some extra tomatoes diced across the top before you serve. (Pro tip: Dollop on some of our refried beans, too!)

Love Taco Bell? Of course you do! Of course, you may not always feel like jumping in the car and going search of a Taco Bell when you want their distinct flavors. Not to worry, we can help you out with your Taco Bell fix — but you'll need some fresh, diced tomatoes for both of these recipes. First, there's our copycat Mexican pizza recipe that's loaded with diced tomatoes — just like it came out of the box! We also have a copycat Crunchwrap Supreme that might be your newest addition to Taco Tuesday.