Oven Roasted Canned Tomatoes

Adapted from The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Mama Mia!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 4-8

Ingredients

• 2 (28 ounce) cans  peeled whole tomatoes, drained, halved, and seeded (Muir Glen, Hunt's, Contadina, or Red Pack are good)
• 1⁄2-2⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 14  large fresh basil leaves, torn
•  fresh rosemary
• 1⁄2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4 " dice
• 6  large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300*F. Spread out the tomatoes in a large shallow pan (a sheet pan is ideal) and sprinkle with the other ingredients, turning to coat them with oil. Bake 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours, basting and turning the tomatoes several times. They're done when their color deepens to dark scarlet and they taste mellow and very rich. Don't let them brown, and don't allow the garlic to brown, it'll turn bitter.
2. Transfer the tomatoes and their oil to a glass or china bowl. Let them mellow at room temperature up to 6 hours. The flavors will ripen in this time.
3. Refrigerate the tomatoes up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Serve the tomatoes at room temperature, or tossed with hot pasta.