Roasted Red Onions with Tomatoes and Red Wine

These generous sized wedges of red onion roast with wine, tomatoes, olive oil and herbs to become almost a meal unto themselves. I always make enough for leftovers because the onions are such a good lunch the next day with bread and cheese.

Every country cook has a collection of favorite onion recipes, onions grow easily in kitchen gardens and keep well through the winter in root cellars. Pair the onions with grilled and roasted meats, or simple seafood dishes.

At one farmhouse lunch my hostess served sections of onions roasted like these along with their pan juices atop a simple risotto — an even better reason to make extra.

Ingredients

• 6 medium red onions (3-1/2 to 4 pounds) cut in 4 wedges each

• 3 branches of fresh thyme leaves

• 2 4-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 2 bay leaves, broken

• generous 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground

• 3 canned tomatoes, drained

• about 1/3 cup dry red wine

• about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

• water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange onion pieces wedge side up in a large shallow pan (half sheet pan or broiler pan). Tear up thyme branches and scatter over the onions along with the rosemary leaves. Tuck broken bay leaves here and there. Sprinkle with fennel and crush the tomatoes over the onions, too. Moisten wedges with the wine and olive oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Roast about an hour basting with pan juices several times. After about 20 minutes, add the garlic. If pan juices threaten to burn, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup water and scrape up any brown glaze with a spatula. Baste it over the onions. They're done with they still hold their shape, but are tender when pierced with a knife. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, basted with their pan juices.