Italian stuffed tomatoes with rice

Author: Veruska Anconitano, Award-Winning Food Travel Journalist, Sommelier & Outdoor LoverAuthor information
Veruska
About the author
Veruska Anconitano
Veruska is a a food travel journalist with awards to her credit, such as World Best Food Travel Journalist. She holds a certification as a sommelier and she is also an ardent lover of the outdoors. Aside from this, Veruska is a Multilingual SEO and Localization Consultant and co-owns multiple websites that cater to a global audience.
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Stuffed tomatoes with rice is a must in hot weather, they can be served hot or cold and should be prepared in advance so the rice can soak up the flavors of the dish. For a complete meal serve accompanied by potatoes which are cooked together with the tomatoes following the classic Roman method. Even if traditionally, they’re served with roasted potatoes and the potatoes must be cooked together with the tomatoes; if you want, you can also serve these stuffed tomatoes without any further vegetable or with a salad.

Let’s start with the basics: the best tomatoes to use are large, firm, red ones. The tomatoes mustn’t only be big and red but also firm otherwise when they come into contact with heat they tend to break up and lose consistency and liquid.

Basil and garlic are added and last of all Arborio rice is used. It must be Arborio as other types tend to become overcooked and release too much starch.

This dish can be eaten hot or cold but remember that the roast potatoes lose flavor when they are cold; it’s usually accompanied by stuffed zucchini. It’s one of those dishes you can’t say no to.

The main variation of this dish, which is not traditional but it’s super good, is stuffed tomatoes with tuna: if you want to do both, remember not to cook the two different stuffed tomatoes together as the flavor will be compromised.

Remember: the stuffed tomatoes with rice don’t have to be appealing… they only have to be terribly good!

Ingredients for 2 people

  • 4 large red tomatoes
  • 120g Arborio rice
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4-6 medium-sized potatoes
  • Basil
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Method

  1. Wash the tomatoes, cut a lid off the top and remove the pulp taking care not to break them;
  2. Put the tomato pulp in a bowl, mash it with a fork, and add the finely chopped garlic, basil, pepper, salt and uncooked, washed rice. Leave to marinate for approximately 30 minutes;
  3. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture and put the lid back on;
  4. Arrange the stuffed tomatoes in an oiled roasting tin along with the cubed potatoes drizzled with oil;
  5. Bake at 180°C/350°F for approximately 45 minutes making sure that the cooking liquid doesn’t dry out. If it does add a little hot water.

Preparation time: 1h30

 

 

 

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