📋Italian Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice (Pomodori di Riso)

Italian Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice served

📋Italian Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice (Pomodori di Riso)

These Italian stuffed tomatoes are an easy dish to make as a side or a vegetarian main. The rice is mixed with cheese and basil and cooks in the oven inside the tomatoes absorbing their juices. These stuffed tomatoes can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before dinner, perfect for a dinner party.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword Italian stuffed tomatoes, rice stuffed tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes with rice

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings people

Calories 298kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

11 fresh tomatoes make sure they are juicy
3 cup Carnaroli rice
1 cup Parmesan or mozzarella cheese Optional for vegan/vegetarians option
½ cup chopped basil leaves
1.5 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the tomatoes

Put the tomatoes into a baking plate, cut the tops but keep them aside
11 fresh tomatoes
With a spoon scoop out the inside of the tomatoes. Leave inside the tomatoes any juices that remain.
Season the tomatoes with salt and some olive oil
1.5 tablespoon salt, 5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preparing the filling

In a separate bowl, chop the inside of the tomatoes
Add the rice and season with salt
3 cup Carnaroli rice
Add the parmesan or the mozzarella cut in cubes and add the chopped basil leaves
1 cup Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, ½ cup chopped basil leaves
Season with olive oil and mix all well
Fill the inside of the tomatoes with the rice mix and spread the remaining rice around the tomatoes
Put back the tomatoes tops and sprinkle with some more olive oil
5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Bake in the oven at 180 C - 350 F for 45 minutes until the rice is nicely browned
Enjoy warm

Video

Notes

Use large juicy tomatoes
You should use risotto rice Carnaroli or Arborio, basmati rice or sushi rice will not work in this recipe
You can substitute the rice with a mix of 3 grains rice, spelt and barley or use quinoa instead but you will have to adjust the cooking time
Make sure there is enough tomato juice in the mix as the rice needs to liquid to cook
Cheese is an option but it helps to make the filling creamier
Put the tops of the tomatoes back as they keep the steam inside the tomatoes and make the rice moist

Nutrition