Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. and coat bottom of a 13-by-9 inch baking dish with 3 tablespoons oil.
2. Cut a thin slice from stem end of each tomato and arrange tomatoes, cut sides down, in dish. Bake tomatoes 30 minutes. Baste tomatoes with pan juices and bake 30 minutes more.
3. In a small bowl stir together sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle over tomatoes. Bake tomatoes 30 minutes more (1 1/2 hours total).
4. Mince garlic and in a skillet cook with parsley in remaining 3 tablespoons oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season parsley mixture with salt and pepper.
5. Serve tomatoes topped with pan juices and parsley mixture.