What to Do with Overripe Tomatoes – 16 Recipe Ideas

Overripe tomatoes are delicious and can be used in a variety of ways. In salads, they can be tossed with feta cheese or cubed for a tasty pasta sauce. You can also chop them and add them to a sandwich or use them in a pizza.

The season of summer is a great time to pick the best tomatoes from your garden. They’re so juicy and delicious, you’ll want to make them into everything.

Overripe tomatoes are a staple in my fridge. And if you haven’t had the chance to use them yet, this is the perfect time to get some.

I bet you’ve already had the idea of using them in soups, but you can also make them into dips, pasta dishes, and side dishes.

And I know what you’re thinking. “But what about pizza?”

Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve!

Overripe tomatoes are perfect for a lot of recipes, but there are some dishes that are best served when the tomatoes are in season and really ripe.

These recipes are all guaranteed to be delicious!

Let’s take a look at 16 recipes that work perfectly with overripe tomatoes!

What to Do with Overripe Tomatoes – 16 Recipe Ideas

Overripe tomatoes are great in soups, stews, sauces, salads and pastas. They are also delicious in sandwiches and pizza. If you want to make them into a sauce, cook them slowly with some salt, garlic and oregano.

1. Tomato Ketchup

If you’ve been following along with our food and cooking series, then you’re likely familiar with the concept of ketchup and tomato sauce, which is where this recipe comes from. The main thing here is that the tomatoes need to be somewhat overripe and flavorful before they are cooked.

A simple but flavorful dish, it makes a great side with meats and can be used for just about anything you like. You could even add chili pepper flakes if you like, as well as chopped garlic and onions.

2. Tomato Puree

Another tomato recipe we’ve put together is the one of tomato puree. While this may not sound like something you’d normally make in an emergency situation, if you’re looking for a way to save some money or have some overripe tomatoes on hand, it can make for a very flavorful base.

Of course, you can always put in more ingredients or spices to get more out of this dish. This puree is a great ingredient for sauces or soups. Try making tomato cream soup or pasta with tomato puree instead of water, or use it as a base for a pizza.

3. Pesto

One of our favorite overripe tomato recipes is the pesto. If you’re looking to make pesto and don’t want to have to resort to dried basil, this can be the perfect recipe for you. It’s actually a very simple recipe and can be made with just a few ingredients. If you’re looking for a versatile recipe, this is one that should be on your radar.

4. Gravy

While we tend to favor tomato sauce and other tomato-based dishes when it comes to overripe tomatoes, there’s also the option of making a gravy or even a tomato soup (See Also: Best Tomatoes for Tomato Soup) using this ingredient.

Tomato gravy is incredibly simple, but it takes a bit of time to cook down. You’ll want to start by peeling your tomatoes first, then add in some oil, flour, and spices. You can use any spices you like for the base, such as salt, oregano, basil, thyme, chili powder, etc.

This will then cook down slowly until you end up with a thick and hearty gravy or sauce. You can always make a tomato soup with this gravy, which can be added to any type of soup you like. It’s a great one for the winter months as well.

5. Pasta

Another good use for overripe tomatoes is in a pasta dish. Of course, the process is very similar to making any other pasta sauce. Simply mix together your olive oil, spices, onions, garlic, and any other ingredients you want. Cook your sauce until it reaches your desired consistency, then cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package.

6. Cheese Sauce

If you’re looking to add more of an Italian flavor to your cheese sauce, or perhaps have some leftover tomatoes after making pizza, this is another recipe that will work well. As with most pasta sauces, this one also requires a bit of chopping and cooking down. To make a tomato cheese sauce, you will first have to cook down your onions and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes, then add in the tomatoes.

You can add in chili pepper flakes if you want, as well as some herbs or other spices. Cooking down slowly, it will be possible to get the consistency of a cheese sauce out of it. Of course, you’ll want to use a creamy cheese, such as Parmesan, Gruyère, mozzarella, or even cheddar.

7. Desserts

Of course, there are plenty of ways that you can use overripe tomatoes as a base for a dessert. One of the most popular and classic is a tomato pie, which is essentially a baked pie crust filled with tomato-based sauce and topped with cheese and other ingredients. You can also make a tomato sauce and put it in a pie shell, top with a slice of mozzarella cheese, and bake.

8. Make Tofu

One of the more straightforward recipes to make with overripe tomatoes is tofu, which is fairly simple and takes just a few basic ingredients. This can be made in two ways. The first way is to soak tofu in warm water for 15 minutes, then place it in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes.

After the tofu is cooked through, place it in a strainer and press it with your hands or a tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Next, prepare your tomato sauce. Chop up any remaining soft vegetables and throw them in a pot with some olive oil and a little salt.

Stirring often, cook for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Now all you have to do is slice your tofu and arrange it in a dish. You can top it with your sauce if you’d like, but the main thing is that you want the tomatoes to be the star of the show here.

9. Salsa

Another great recipe to make with overripe tomatoes is salsa. While this isn’t the most traditional recipe for tomato salsa, it does allow you to add a bit of tang to your summery summer fruits without turning them into mush.

To make salsa, simply combine tomatoes with a diced onion and some pepper in a food processor or blender. Once the vegetables are chopped up, add some cilantro or parsley, and then a splash of lime juice or vinegar if you prefer.

It can be served warm or cold, and even if you don’t like cilantro, this is an easy recipe to make and one that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

10. Tomato Sauce

If you’re feeling a little less experimental with your overripe tomatoes and want something more traditional, you might want to try out tomato sauce. There are two ways you can go about making tomato sauce.

The first is to roast the tomatoes in the oven. This will give you a nice deep red sauce without burning them. The other option is to make a fresh tomato sauce. After chopping up all of your tomatoes, combine them in a pot with olive oil, onions, and some salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for around 45 minutes.

Once everything is cooked through, pour it over pasta or serve it as a base for soups or even as a filling for meatballs or hamburgers. It’s a versatile recipe that’s fun to try.

11. Add Them to a Meat Sauce

If you want to add some extra tomato flavor to your meat dishes, all you need to do is add some big old ripe tomatoes to your sauce. You don’t have to add them in one big lump like in the first example.

You can break the tomatoes up into chunks or halves and cook them with your other ingredients until they’re soft and have melted into the sauce. You can also add them to meat stews if you want to save yourself some time, but if you’re feeling adventurous, try them in a sauce with pasta.

12. Add Them To A Salad

If you like your salads a bit more tangy and zesty than usual, it might be worth your while to try out a salad made with overripe tomatoes. These can add a real kick to any salad, especially if they’ve been cooked in a flavorful way first.

Of course, the real trick to this is that you don’t want the tomato to have too much of an impact on the salad’s flavor.

You want to keep it subtle and make sure the salad’s ingredients do most of the talking. In other words, you want to ensure that your tomato’s main role is to add some nice acidity and sweetness, rather than overpowering everything else.

13. Add Them To Breads

You might be tempted to throw all of your overripe tomatoes out if you’re looking for recipes that involve them. But it turns out that they can also be used to improve other dishes.

In this case, overripe tomatoes can be added to breads. One of the easiest breads to make is pizza dough, which is just flour, water, and salt. If you happen to have a few overripe tomatoes in your fridge, you can make pizza with them. Simply cut up the tomatoes, add them to a bowl with the other ingredients, and mix them together.

You can then add them to the dough and knead it all together, or you can just leave it alone. The great thing about this option is that you can use your overripe tomatoes to create all sorts of interesting pizzas. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try experimenting with some different toppings.

14. Make Chutney

If you have overripe tomatoes in abundance, they can also be turned into chutney. You’ll have to peel and cut your tomatoes, which may sound like a chore, but once you get used to it it won’t take you very long.

After that, you’ll want to chop up your overripe tomatoes and add them to a pot along with spices, onion, and garlic.

Then, let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes and then add sugar, vinegar, salt, and peppers. Stir until everything is well combined and then you’ll have a delicious, sweet, and spicy chutney that you can use for any number of purposes.

15. Use Them in Soups

If you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes or you simply can’t stand their taste, then you could always use them in your soups. If you have access to a pressure cooker, then this is especially handy.

Otherwise, you can just use your regular stockpot and heat it on the stovetop. It may sound crazy, but it is possible to make soup from overripe tomatoes.

You can find the best recipes online or in cookbooks. You just need to make sure that you’re using an authentic recipe and not one that was just written up. The thing about making tomato soup or other soups with overripe tomatoes is that you will want to cut down on the sugar and salt to avoid the taste overpowering the soup itself.

16. Tomato-Pepper Pasta Salad

If you love tomato-based salads and want to turn some of those ripe tomatoes into something new and delicious, look up how to make tomato-pepper pasta salad, or use this recipe provided right here.

This is a fresh and summery pasta salad that will put any salad or pasta to shame. It’s quick to put together and the ingredients are easy to get hold of. What’s more, this recipe allows you to use almost any kind of tomatoes that you might happen to find.

There’s no need to worry about what you have on hand because they’ll all work well with this recipe. You can also make the salad even spicier by adding chopped jalapeño peppers, or you can keep it simple and just add basil leaves.

Conclusion

Overripe tomatoes are a delicious, delicious thing.

If you’re lucky enough to have a surplus of them, you should definitely think about using them to make some amazing dishes.

However, they’re also a little tricky to use and sometimes a little too messy for my taste.

That said, I think they’re worth trying at least once if you have a surplus.

What can you do with overripe tomatoes?

If you have a surplus of overripe tomatoes, try making a delicious salsa. Simply mix in fresh garlic and onion, salt and pepper to taste. You can also make a tomato sauce or soup by simmering them in a pot with a little oil and seasoning.

You’ll have to experiment with different recipes to find out what you like the best.