Baked Stuffed Tomatoes
I had all but forgotten about this dish until my Zia Franca made these baked stuffed tomatoes for us one night for dinner when we were in Italy back in September. It had literally been years since I had last eaten them, and you know that giddy, excited feeling you get when you see something or someone you haven't seen in a really long time? That's how I felt when I saw my Zia Franca pull these out of the oven. Yes, I get crazy happy to see food. We Italians will not hesitate to cheer, applaud, toast and fawn over the dishes that we love...before we even start to eat.
I realize that tomatoes and basil are summer ingredients and taste best in that season, and while I certainly try to buy seasonal produce, I occasionally make exceptions for certain dishes. My grocery store always has gorgeoous basil stocked year-round, so I don't have to wait until summer to enjoy using it in my recipes. And although tomatoes are lackluster at best during the fall and winter months, they are transformed back into their sweet, flavorful selves when baked.
The right type of rice is important for this recipe because it needs to hold up to being cooked twice. First it has to be boiled until just al dente; then it has to bake in the oven with the tomatoes. I knew a long grain rice would get too mushy, so I looked for a shorter grain rice and discovered California Pearl Rice, which worked perfectly. Once it's cooked and strained, you let it cool for a few minutes while you hollow out the tomatoes, chop the tomato pulp and prepare the herbs. From there, the rice, pulp, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil are mixed together and you have both a stuffing and a bed for the hollowed out tomatoes.
There are so many things to love about this dish. It's versatile--it can be served as a first course, a vegetarian main course, or for a light lunch. It can be made a few hours ahead, refrigerated and baked off at a later time. And it has great visual appeal with the hollowed out tomatoes doubling as warm vessels for the plump kernels of rice.
When they emerge from the oven, you'll notice how the rice has taken on a rosy hue and the delicate skins of the tomatoes will have wrinkled and split, revealing the sweet, juicy tomato flesh just beneath. And when you taste them, you'll understand why I was so happy to eat these again after so many years. Buon Appetito!
Baked Stuffed Tomatoes
8 vine ripe tomatoes
4 cups (2 14oz. packages) California pearl rice (such as Goya)
2 T. chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonnade
4 T. olive oil, plus more for coating baking dish
1/4 tsp. salt, plus 1 T. for seasoning cooking water for rice
1/4 tsp. pepperCoat a 9" x 13" baking dish with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt, cook the rice until just al dente. Strain through a colander and let cool for a few minutes (it does not have to cool completely).
Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set the tops aside. Using a small spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds of each tomato into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Be careful not to poke through the flesh of the tomatoes. Set aside the hollowed out tomatoes. Pulse the pulp a few times until it is coarsely chopped (it will be fairly watery--that's OK).
In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, tomato pulp, parsley, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste to make sure the seasoning is correct and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Fill each tomato to the top with the rice mixture and place the reserved tomato tops on each stuffed tomato. Transfer the remainder of the rice mixture into the oiled baking dish and spread out evenly (do not pack it down). Place each stuffed tomato on top of the bed of rice and nestle each one down gently so they remain upright.
Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and the rice is rosy and lightly golden on top. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
|
Subscribe to RSS |
.jpg)
No comments posted