Tomatoes Stuffed With Rice (Pomodori al Riso)
When I see
these big, red, plump tomatoes, I can't stop myself from buying them to
make this dish. It's a very common one, especially in the "tavola
calda" or snack bars where you can find other salty foods for a quick
& easy meal. All the Italian mothers & grandmothers (because
they know the kitchens best) should have a recipe of their own for this
classic but I tasted the best one in our neighbor's house. Well, what
do you know, it's just around the corner! She taught me how to do it
and even gave me some tomatoes from their own farm. So days after, I
was in my own kitchen, recreating her wonderful stuffed tomatoes. That
was ten years ago. I'm still hanging on to her recipe and still
dodging the others who think theirs are better.
Tomatoes Stuffed With Rice (Pomodori al Riso)
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 4 big, plump, firm tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Arborio rice (or something similar)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 20 grams capers, chopped
- 2 cups tomato water
Preparing the tomatoes:
Cut off the top part of the tomatoes. Set aside.
Preparing the filling:
Put the pulp in a food processor or blender to grind.
In a small cooking pot, mix rice, tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, capers, water, salt and pepper. Cook over low fire for 10 minutes.
Cooking:
Fill up the tomatoes with the rice filling. Cover with the top part of the tomatoes. Put them on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil & sprinkle with salt. Bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
