Do you have an excess of tomatoes and aren’t sure what to do with them? Sure you can make countless cans of marinara sauce to store for later. Or you can have salad, every night for the next several months. Or you can make this fantastic side dish. Since the ingredients are fresh, this is oozing with great flavor! A big thanks to the garden where my kids take classes, for this recipe!
You will need:
1 cup Arborio rice (or other short-grain white rice)
6 ripe but firm large tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions:
Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring periodically, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato; reserve the tomato tops. Cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp.
Oil the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish.
Toss the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp. Add garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine well.
Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly. Sprinkle leftover stuffing on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle entire dish with olive oil. Place the reserved tomato slices atop the tomatoes. Bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Note: My husband likes this with Mozzarella cheese on top. When you serve the tomatoes, take off the top, place a small slice of mozzarella on top and replace the top. By the time you’re ready to eat, the cheese is super melty and super yummy!
For more great recipes check out our cookbook!