Roman Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe
Pomodori con il Riso – An Italian Summer Recipe
Rice-stuffed tomatoes are classic Roman summer recipe. They are not commonly found on restaurant menus but are often prepared in the home for a fresh lunch or picnic. Pomodori con il Riso makes the most of Rome’s glut of tomatoes in the summer months, using them to hold a herby rice stuffing before being baked in the oven on a bed of potatoes to soak up the excess juices.
Although the recipe requires a little time (leaving the rice to rest in the liquid for a while before filling and baking the tomatoes ensures maximum flavor), it is simple to prepare and can be made in advance; indeed the dish is usually eaten at room temperature. This recipe is from one of our favorite traditional Italian cookbooks, Il Talismano della Felicità.
Watch Foodie Sisters, Benedetta and Valeria, cook this delicious Roman summer dish that you need to try to make at home.
Pomodori con il Riso – Baked Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes
Serves 6
12 tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
300 gr rice
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley
Chopped basil
Garlic
2-3 large potatoes, unpeeled
Wash the tomatoes and carefully cut off the tops, about 1 cm from the top, and place to one side. Use a spoon to scoop out the tomato flesh and seeds into a large bowl.
Season the tomato pulp in the bowl with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, parsley, basil, garli cloves (which you can later remove), and olive oil. Coarsely chop and mix the ingredients, then add the uncooked rice to the mixture, stir well and leave to rest for 30-45 minutes.
Once the rice has rested, place the empty tomatoes into a large baking dish greased with olive oil. Spoon the rice mixture into each one, leaving about 1cm space at the top to allow the filling to expand. Put the lids back on top of the tomatoes then cut the potatoes into wedges and fit them around the tomatoes. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and potatoes and add extra herbs if you wish.
Heat the oven to 180°C and bake for about 1 hour or until the rice is al dente and the potatoes turning golden.
Buon appetito!
