Ingredients
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Fresh basil leaves
- Red onion chopped
- Olive Oil
- Italian Seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Mozzarella cheese pearls or balls
- Preheat oven 400F
Download a printable version here.
Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish covering the bottom in a single layer. Sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher salt. Allow these to sit for 5 minutes, or until you have the additional ingredients chopped.
While the tomatoes and the salt are sitting, chop a red onion, garlic, and basil leaves. I like to chop these chunky.
Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Add chopped red onion, garlic, and basil leaves. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
I measure the spices with my heart. Some may want more basil and less garlic. It depends on your taste preference. I typically use about ½ red onion, 4-5 garlic cloves, and a “bunch” of basil leaves. Same goes for the Italian Seasoning, it is about a tablespoon, and red pepper flakes ½-1 teaspoon depending on whom I’m preparing this for and the amount of heat they prefer.
Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the oil is bubbling.
Add the mozzarella cheese pearls or balls to the tomatoes by placing them randomly throughout the dish.
Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the mozzarella cheese is soft but not melted. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.
Serve with crackers, bread, or pita chips. It may be served warm or cold. I like to prepare this evening before, allowing the flavors to settle
Enjoy Dr. Lelcu’s Cherry Tomato Brushetta Dip!
