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!

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!

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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 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! 

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!)