65+ Summer Tomato Recipes to Make Right Now

updated Aug 18, 2023

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two slices of pan con tomate on a green plate on a marble surface — Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe: Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Pan con Tomate

The time we’ve been looking forward to all winter is finally here. It’s tomato season! Yes, peak tomato season is in full swing, and that means one thing: It’s your duty to consume as many tomatoes as possible. My cue that it’s time to dive in is when I go to the market and I can smell the table of tomatoes before I even step up to it. And it turns out that the smell is the key to choosing a good ripe tomato (along with choosing tomatoes that are firm and heavy) Then I have a habit of getting caught up in the excitement of summer and loading up my bag with what’s likely far too many tomatoes, only to leave me wondering what to make with fresh tomatoes.

When I was a kid, I savored tomato season, biting into juicy, ripe tomatoes as if they were apples. I took every chance I could get to make tomato sandwiches, and we ate them as a side dish, simply cut into thick slices with a swipe or mayo and sprinkle of salt and pepper. These days, my bucket list of tomato recipes includes tomato salad (namely my mom’s cucumber and tomato salad), a fast and fancy weeknight tomato galette with plenty of feta and fresh herbs, homemade tomato sauce, and weekly renditions of pasts dinners packed with fresh tomatoes. Ready to make this summer’s tomato season really count? Here are 65 tomato recipes to eat up the best tomatoes before time runs out.

Tomato Sandwiches Every Which Way

I’m not sure there’s a more satisfying way to eat a perfectly ripe tomato than a tomato sandwich. It’s a summer essential in my book. Everyone usually has their own go-to, and these are some of our favorites.

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1-Minute Tomato Sandwich

With a swipe of butter, drizzle of honey, and sprinkle of flaky salt, this tomato sandwich sits right on the border of sweet and saovry.

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Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)

This super simple Spanish tapa proves that you don't need a lot of ingredients to create delicious complex flavor.

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Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

If you ask me, there's no better grilled cheese than one that's layered with sliced fresh tomato.

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The Best-Ever Caprese Sandwich

Tomatoes, avocado, mozzarella and basil are stuffed inside a toasted baguette and finished with a drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in this perfect summer sandwich.

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Caprese Grilled Cheese

All the flavors you love about classic caprese salad stuffed into a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

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Roasted Tomato Tartine

Ricotta lovers: this indulgent and savory tomato toast is for you.

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Blistered Tomato Toasts

A few anchovy fillets roasted alongside the tomatoes and become the salty, creamy undercurrent that contrasts the acidic sweetness of the tomatoes.

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Caprese Avocado Toast

While fat, round tomatoes and thick slices of mozzarella are the stars of caprese salad, think smaller when it comes to avocado toast. Stick with bite-sized ingredients, like grape or cherry tomatoes and pearl-sized balls of mozzarella.

Tomato Salads

When summer tomatoes are dripping juice and packed with ripe, sweet flavor, there are few things better than turning them into a simple salad. These salads work with any type of tomato you have on hand, and my absolute favorite is faith’s tomato and cucumber salad with fresh herbs, feta, and red onion.

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Avocado Tomato Salad

This avocado tomato salad is the perfect 10-minute dish to round out any and all summer dinners.

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This fresh tomato and onion salad is a summer staple in Kenya.

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Tomato-Peach Salad with Feta and Cucumbers

This summer peach is as vibrant as can be thanks to juicy peach and tomato wedges, sliced cucumber, crumbed feta, and lots of fresh herbs.

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Black-Eyed Pea Summer Salad

A bright summer salad with black-eyed peas, avocado, cherry tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers dressed in a punchy lime vinaigrette.

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Tomato Salad with Red Onion, Dill and Feta

This is the full-on maximalist tomato salad: tossed gloriously with red pepper, feta, dill, cucumber, and olives.

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This simple salad, made with thinly-sliced red onions, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar, lets juicy summer tomatoes shine.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pomegranate-Sumac Dressing

The beauty of this tomato salad is just how simple it is to pull off. All it takes is a bright sumac vinaigrette and some sliced shallots.

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Tomato and Feta White Bean Salad

This flavor-packed salad that feels hearty yet still light and fresh enough to fit the season.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Turmeric Yogurt

Turmeric yogurt is topped with a variety of different types of heirloom tomatoes in this summer recipe. The whole dish is drizzled with a homemade green goddess sauce.

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Summer Farro Salad with Tomato, Cucumber & Basil

Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil are tossed with hearty and healthful farro to create a perfect pairing for any time of day.

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Rotisserie Chicken Panzanella

Rotisserie chicken, toasted bread cubes, and sweet summer veggies combine for a shortcut panzanella you'll want to eat all summer long.

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Heirloom Tomato and Steak Caprese

Inspired by traditional caprese, this dinner salad is topped with marinaded grilled steak and a punchy basil vinaigrette.

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Corn and Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons

This is a perfect hot-summer midweek meal, for which so little effort is required for such delicious reward.

Tomato Tarts and Pies

Arm yourself with pie dough, a box of frozen puff pastry, or even some pizza dough, and you’re well on your way to turn that bundle of tomatoes into something seriously delicious (and impressive). No matter what form they take, these tomato recipes can work as a summery appetizer or casual summer dinner.

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Green Tomato Pie

It's about time to think of ripe green tomatoes as dessert fruit. They are tart and firm and take on flavors really well.

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Tomato Tarte Tatin

A simple yet showstopping recipe for a savory tarte tatin with caramelized cherry tomatoes for lunch or dinner.

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15-Minute Fresh Tomato and Feta Tart

The tomato tart is a classic summer dish. It stands alone as a great appetizer, makes a light brunch with an egg on top, or supports the lead as a charming side dish with grilled chicken or seafood.

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3-Cheese Tomato Tart

One more reason we love frozen puff pastry! It's the start of this easy, cheesy tomato tart.

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Southern Tomato Pie

From the first bite to the last slice, tomato pie is sublime: Sharp tomatoes and savory bacon are seasoned with thyme and bathed with mayo and sharp cheese to make a humble pie that’s the perfect entrée for your end-of-summer suppers and lazy weekend brunches.

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Tomato and Feta Galette

Pair sweet tomatoes with thyme and feta, then wrap it up with a buttery crust for a free-form pie that's easy enough to make on busy weeknights.

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Cherry Tomato, Corn, and Goat Cheese Pizza

It doesn't matter whether you make your pizza in the oven or on the grill, this trio of toppings screams summer.

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Fresh Tomato Slab Pie

This showstopping summer pie consists of a butter cracker crust, a tangy whipped feta filling, and a fresh tomato topping.

Fresh Tomato Sauces

There’s a time for slow-simmered tomato sauce, but right now, it’s hard to beat fresh tomato sauce. In part because tomatoes are stepping into their prime, and hardly need the heat of the stovetop to coax out extra flavor, but also bc it’s just too hot for keeping the oven on all afternoon.

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Marinated Fresh Tomato Sauce

Made with fresh tomato pulp marinated in oil, garlic, and basil, this simple sauce is a quintessence of the Italian summer.

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No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Ripe, juicy tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil are all that stand between you the the simplest, freshest sauce you'll make all summer.

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Tortellini with Butter-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Roast halved cherry tomatoes with garlic-infused butter and they're transformed into a light and juicy sauce for cheese tortellini.

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Geraldine's Mellow Tomato Sauce with Brie

Chopped tomatoes are tossed with torn sweet basil, a few glugs of olive oil, and chunks of Brie that melt into the sauce when hot pasta hits the bowl

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Fresh Tomato Blender Sauce

For this recipe you need to do nothing but toss the tomatoes you grabbed from the farmers market into a blender, add a little garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil, and transform the mix into the brightest, liveliest thing you can toss with pasta this summer.

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How To Make Basic Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

If you've been eyeing those gorgeous tomatoes at the market and wondering what it might take to turn them into jars of sauce, wonder no more.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

You don’t necessarily have to whip up a batch of sauce to enjoy fresh tomatoes with your pasta dinner. We say, toss them right into the bowl or pot of pasta, or onto the sheet with some pillowy gnocchi.

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20-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Cherry tomatoes release their juices in a hot skillet to create a bright, fresh sauce that's rounded out with garlic and basil for your favorite pasta.

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Pasta with Tomatoes and Tahini Pesto

Broiled, blistered tomatoes mingle blissfully with a tahini-kissed pesto sauce in this satisfying, naturally vegan pasta dish.

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Caprese Couscous Salad

This quick, almost no-cook side dish features couscous, pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, and mini mozzarella balls.

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Tomato Orzo Salad with Tahini Dressing Recipe

A salad that's equal parts nourishing and nutty thanks to the tomatoes, orzo pasta, fresh veggies, feta cheese, and tahini.

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Lemony Ricotta Pasta with Roasted Asparagus and Burst Tomatoes

This vibrant pasta dish is packed with bursting cherry tomatoes and tender asparagus, and tossed in a bright, lemony ricotta sauce.

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Crab Pasta with Browned Butter and Cherry Tomatoes

This low-effort pasta, packed with crab, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs, celebrates the season’s bounty.

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Pesto Pasta Salad

Nothing says summer like tendrils of pasta, fresh mozzarella pearls, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy cucumber dressed in a basil pesto sauce.

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10-Minute Garlicky Tomato Spaghetti

Lots of texture, a fresh taste, and the essence of tomatoes in a summery pasta dish in less than 10 minutes? Yes indeed.

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Grilled Zucchini Pasta Salad

Grilled zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and a zingy dressing come together for a vibrant summer pasta salad that's refreshing, delicious, and easy.

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Farmers Market Pasta Dinner

Keep this pasta dinner nearby for the remainder of summer. It's tossed with a mess of tender, of the moment veggies and herbs, coated with a slick of buttery white wine sauce and grated parm.

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Lemon Butter Pasta & Veggies

A garlicky lemon butter sauce is one of the most delicious ways we know to tie together a veggie-packed summer pasta.

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Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Veggies

Even if you're pint of cherry tomatoes is just so-so, it's ok! The oven will coax out their natural sweetness.

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Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

This skillet is the dish I make when I want a 15-minute meal with just a handful of ingredients, but one that tastes like summer.

Tomato-Heavy Mains

Want to really make summer-ripe tomatoes the star of the show? You should try a savory tomato cobbler, a tomato and peach pot pie, or a pot of meltingly tender ratatouille.

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Sheet Pan Halloumi with Burst Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Preserved Lemon, and Mint

This colorful sheet pan dinner is packed with halloumi cheese chunks, burst tomoatoes, and a wholesome mix of flavorful Mediterranean ingredients.

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Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits

This sweet and savory is one meal that's absolutely worth cranking up the oven for this summer.

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Savory Tomato Peach and Tarragon Pot Pie

Tomatoes and peaches (yes, peaches!) are the secret to the most summery pot pie you'll make.

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Easy Slow-Cooker Ratatouille

Ratatouille, the classic French vegetable stew, combines a slew of summer produce, including plenty fresh tomatoes, that are cooked until meltingly tender.

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Farmers Market Frittata

This built-for-summer frittata is studded with the rich, creamy tang of goat cheese and whatever you happen to tote home from the farmers market.

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Upside-Down Tomato Corn Cake

When you’ve reached the point of salad fatigue and are looking for a way to make the most of sweet summer corn and juicy red tomatoes, look no further than this savory cake.

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Feta and Tomato Braised Chickpeas

Tender chickpeas swimming in an oregano- and garlic-spiked tomato sauce and topped with plenty of melty feta cheese. Make enough for lunch too!

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A big platter of succotash is a celebration of all the vibrant vegetables coming into season: sweet corn, baby lima beans, ripe red tomatoes, and tender okra. Spoon it over a pile of grains or pasta, or top it with some sliced chicken or steak to turn it into dinner.

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Creamy Ricotta Corn and Tomato Baked Ziti

With a blender ricotta sauce, tomatoes, and corn, this is the freshest casserole you'll taste all summer.

Chicken and Fish Dinners with Tomatoes

If chicken and fish are just as much a part of your meal plan roster as they are ours, here’s all the ways you can work a bunch of fresh tomatoes into the skillet and onto the plate.

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Slow-Roasted Salmon with Garlicky Tomatoes, Olives, and Herbs

This feel-good recipe is packed with protein. It's also colorful and vibrant, thanks to juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs.

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Seared Scallops and Corn Salad

This single-serve dish pan-seared scallops with a fresh corn and tomato salad are the perfect way to celebrate the season, especially when you're eating alone.

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Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab Salad

Fried Green Tomatoes, crab salad, hot butter sauce. Enough said.

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Pan-Seared Crispy Chicken Thighs with Blistered Tomatoes and Basil

Sweet, blistered tomatoes and fresh basil are, without a doubt, the stars of this budget-friendly dinner.

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Tomato-Basil Chicken and Rice

Chicken thighs bake on a bed of rice that has been flavored with diced, in-season tomatoes for a crowd-pleasing casserole that needs nothing more than a handful of chopped fresh basil to make it taste like summer.

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Dubliner Cheese and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

A slice of fresh summer tomato is just the thing to keep these cheddar-stuffed chicken breasts from feeling too heavy.

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Caprese Chicken

Along with creamy mozzarella and fresh basil, ripe and juicy summer tomatoes are the simplest way to perk up that weeknight chicken breast.

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Saucy Skillet Salmon

Do yourself a favor and serve this summer skillet with a side of couscous, rice, or some bread to soak up all the extra sauce.

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Fish in Crazy Water

Crazy water, or acqua pazza as it translates to in Italian, is nothing but an easy tomato-based broth, enhanced with a few aromatics and herbs. It also makes the most flavorful poaching liquid for white fish.

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Garlicky Sautéed Shrimp with Creamy White Beans and Blistered Tomatoes

This 20-minute dish, inspired by the Spanish tapas dish gambas a ajillo, makes for a flavorful weeknight dinner with very little effort. It's packed with garlicky shrimp, blistered tomatoes, and creamy white beans.

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Pesto Salmon with Burst Tomatoes

Your favorite store-bought pesto jazzes up salmon fillets in this flavor-packed skillet dinner.

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