Baked Stuffed Tomatoes Roman Style
( Pomidori Ripieni alla Romana )
Baked stuffed tomato is a popular dish in Rome, Italy.
La Signora Danila Occhiali, my mother-in-law who lived in Rome, cooked the stuffed tomatoes often in her frequent visits in the United States and I enjoyed them very much, eating more than one tomato and usually making the stuffed tomatoes my complete dinner.
Terry, my wife, who mastered her cooking expertise from her mother, makes delicious stuffed tomatoes and at time sidetracking the original recipe, using unusual ingredients and spices, makes stuffed tomatoes that are original in the taste and unbeatable delicious.
Here, in the United States, the best time to make it is in the summer because the local tomatoes are fresh and of first quality.
Choose firm and ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes, weighing 6 to 8 ounces each.
- Serving Size4
- Recipes of the Italian RegionsBaked Stuffed Tomatoes Roman Style
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons of Arborio Italian Rice or Caroline long grain. (One tablespoon for each tomato)
- 8 leaves of minced basil
- 8 leaves of minced mint
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Wipe off the tomatoes, discard stem without damaging the skin, and lay tomatoes steam side down.
Cut a round slice from the side opposite to stem; you will be using it as a lid top.
With a melon scoop, scrape out the flesh of the tomato, being careful not to break the skin.
Reserve the pulp and the juice.
Chop the pulp and mix it with juice (you can use a food processor);in a bowl combine the pulp and juice with the uncooked rice, olive oil, basil, mint and the salt-pepper to taste.
Sprinkle salt inside hollow tomato and stuff with the mixture of rice and tomato.
Cover with lids top, and arrange in a greased baking dish, standing the stuffed tomatoes with lid side up.
Drizzle with little olive oil and bake at 350F for 60 minutes.
You can serve the tomatoes warm or at room temperature.