Why Eating Tomatoes Cooked with Olive Oil Unlocks a "Hidden" Heart-Health Powerhouse

By Maryanne Ackershoek
Published 8/31/2026
Approved for These Diets:
Heart Healthy
In This Article
Why Eating Tomatoes Cooked with Olive Oil Unlocks a
Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer

When you bite into a fresh, raw tomato in a salad, it tastes great and gives you water and vitamin C. But if you want to unlock the real superpower inside a tomato, you need two things: heat and olive oil.

While eating most vegetables raw is great, tomatoes are special. Cooking them and adding a splash of olive oil actually helps your body absorb way more of their good nutrients! Don't you love it when a delicious food combo is good for you, too? I certainly do, so I've selected some of our best dietitan-approved recipes from the Health eCooks Test Kitchen for you to try. I've included options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you can enjoy adding some tomatoes cooked with olive oil to your meal any time you like!

The Secret Ingredient: Lycopene

The main superhero nutrient inside a tomato is called lycopene. It's what gives tomatoes their bright red color.

Lycopene helps keep your heart strong, protects your blood vessels, and fights off damage inside your body. But when you eat a raw tomato, your body can't get to most of that lycopene. Here is why:

1. It's Trapped Inside Tough Plant Walls

Raw tomato cells have tough outer walls. Our stomachs have a hard time breaking them down. Cooking tomatoes softens these walls, letting the lycopene escape so your body can actually use it.

2. The Shape Needs to Change

In a raw tomato, lycopene molecules are shaped like long, straight sticks. This shape makes it hard for your body to absorb them. Heating the tomato bends the lycopene into a folded shape that slides easily into your blood system.

3. It Needs Fat to Travel

Lycopene cannot travel through your body on its own—it needs fat to carry it. Olive oil acts like a tiny taxi driver. It picks up the lycopene and carries it right into your bloodstream.

☞ Fun Fact: Eating cooked tomatoes with olive oil can help your body absorb up to 5 times more lycopene than eating a raw tomato alone!

What Cooked Tomatoes + Olive Oil Does for Your Heart

When warm tomatoes and olive oil work together, they keep your body running smoothly:

Lycopene Absorbed:

  • From Raw Tomato: Low (~5–10% absorbed)
  • From tomatoes cooked with olive oil: Maximum (~50%+ absorbed)

Plus, this healthy combo gives you these benefits:

  • More Vitamins Absorbed: Olive oil means you don't lose the benefits of fat-soluble vitamins from the tomato: you get full extraction of Vitamin A, E, and K
  • Provides Healthy Fats: Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to increase levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) while lowering “bad” cholesterol (LDL).
  • Cleans Your Blood Vessels: Together, olive oil and lycopene keep your arteries clean and clear so blood can flow easily.
  • Keeps Blood Pressure Healthy: Lycopene helps relax your blood vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump blood.

6 Delicious Tomato & Olive Oil Recipes for Any Time Of Day

  1. 01

    Mediterranean Chicken and Tomatoes

    Heart Healthy Mediterranean Lemon Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
    Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer
    45 mins

    You cook sweet cherry tomatoes in a pan with warm olive oil until they pop open. The heat breaks down the tough skins, letting the lycopene spill right into the oil. This creates a tasty, heart-healthy sauce for the chicken that your body can soak up with ease.

    View Recipe
  2. 02

    Spinach and Ricotta Balls in Tomato Sauce

    Heart Healthy Spinach and Ricotta Balls in Tomato Sauce
    60 mins

    This dish starts by cooking garlic and onions in olive oil, then adding tomatoes to warm up on the stove. Heating the tomato sauce changes the shape of the lycopene molecules, making them much easier for your stomach to absorb.

    View Recipe
  3. 03

    Breakfast Tortilla

    Heart Healthy Breakfast Tortilla
    Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer
    30 mins

    Chopped tomatoes go on top of a tortilla and bake in a hot oven (450°F). The high heat softens the tomatoes to release their nutrients. Plus, the healthy fats in the egg and melted cheese act like little helpers that carry the lycopene into your body.

    View Recipe
  4. 04

    Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

    Heart Healthy Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
    Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer
    30 mins

    Canned tomatoes are already pre-cooked, which means their nutrients are already partially unlocked. When you simmer them in olive oil with garlic and herbs for 30 minutes, you get a quick pasta sauce loaded with healthy lycopene.

    View Recipe
  5. 05

    Tomato Bell Pepper Quiche

    Heart Healthy Tomato Bell Pepper Quiche
    Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer
    45 mins

    Before baking the quiche, you warm the tomatoes, peppers, and onions in olive oil in a pan. Sautéing them first unlocks the lycopene early, so it bakes right into the eggs for maximum health benefits in every slice.

    View Recipe
  6. 06

    Tomato and Pesto Pizza

    Heart Healthy Tomato and Pesto Pizza
    Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer
    30 mins

    This crispy flatbread pizza uses basil pesto made with extra virgin olive oil as the sauce. Fresh tomato slices sit right on top of the pesto. When baked at 425°F, the heat releases the tomatoes' healthy nutrients straight into the olive oil underneath.

    View Recipe

Other Easy Ways to Eat More Lycopene at Home

Use these simple cooking tricks to get more tomato health benefits:

  • Warm Tomato Pop: Toss small tomatoes into a pan with a spoonful of olive oil over medium heat until they pop and get soft. Chill them in the fridge and add them to your salads, sandwiches, or wraps instead of raw tomatoes.
  • Roasted Tomato Slices: Bake tomato slices brushed with olive oil in the oven. Serve them on top of crunchy whole-wheat bread, or add them to your sandwich or healthy burger instead of raw tomato slices.

And if you're still hungry for more, explore all our delicious tomato recipes.

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