Summer tomatoes stuffed with rice
In Naples, these summer tomatoes stuffed with rice are prepared in summer until early October. They are really tasty and this recipe contains my mom’s secret to make them even more flavorful and special: sugar! It contrasts the acidity of the tomatoes and caramelizes during cooking, creating a delightful sweet and sour taste (of course, the sugar is little) always very appreciated by my family and guests, who finish them in no time.
Moreover, these tomatoes are really easy to prepare. Ideal in summer, you eat them cold.
If you are looking for easy recipes, read my Special: “Easy and Quick Recipes“.
If you are looking for summer recipes, click on my: “Summer Special“.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Autumn
- Energy 591.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 81.26 (g) of which sugars 9.79 (g)
- Proteins 6.49 (g)
- Fat 27.26 (g) of which saturated 3.97 (g)of which unsaturated 0.34 (g)
- Fibers 1.67 (g)
- Sodium 1,675.07 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz Carnaroli Rice
- 6 vine-ripened tomatoes (you should get about 600 g of pulp)
- to taste Basil (plenty)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 clove garlic (large, cut in half)
- 3.4 oz Extra virgin olive oil (of quality)
- 1 tbsp Fine salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Cutting board with two built-in side trays
- Knife
- Corer to empty the tomatoes
- Aluminum baking pan Agnelli, 24 cm in diameter
Preparation
The tomatoes should be vine-ripened, red, with smooth skin, and nice and firm (see notes below)
Take a cutting board, remove the caps from the tomatoes and empty them with a corer, reserving their pulp.
I line them all up, with their own caps, as in the picture, to remember which belongs to each one once filled.
Take a bowl, pour in the pulp (mashed with a fork) and the juice of the tomatoes, and add: the raw rice, 2 tbsp of sugar, 3.4 oz extra virgin olive oil, salt, 1 peeled whole garlic clove halved, basil.
Let the rice rest in the seasoned tomato pulp for 10 minutes to flavor it well.
Take the hollowed tomatoes, brush them inside with extra virgin olive oil, salt them, and distribute 2 tbsp of sugar among all 6 tomatoes.
After the 10 minutes of rest, remove the garlic and fill each tomato halfway with the seasoned rice and fresh basil (DO NOT overfill, because the rice expands during cooking).
Take an aluminum baking pan (NO non-stick pans) of the appropriate size for the tomatoes (NO larger), mine is 24 cm in diameter, brush it well with extra virgin olive oil, arrange the rice-filled tomatoes, cover each with its own cap and make another round of salt and extra virgin oil.
Bake the stuffed tomatoes in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a nice crust forms on the surface and all the tomato liquid is absorbed and slightly glazed at the bottom of the pan.
The Vine-Ripened Tomato
“- Characteristics of the vine-ripened tomato
The fruits, which grow in clusters of 5-8 tomatoes (each weighing about 100-140 g), have a round and regular shape and, once fully ripe, are bright red in color. The skin of the tomatoes is smooth and thin, easy to remove, while the pulp is fleshy, juicy, and tasty.
– Uses in cooking
The vine-ripened tomato contains carotenoids (including lycopene, a natural antioxidant) and is rich in vitamins and minerals. It can be consumed raw, in salads, in caprese (paired with mozzarella, preferably buffalo), or as a topping for bruschetta, but it can also be used to prepare sauces and preserves.” (see here).
Shopping Tips!!!
This special cutting board with two built-in side trays: one to collect cut foods, the other to collect waste.
To empty the pulp from the tomatoes and leave them intact, this tomato corer (and pepper corer) is very convenient.
To cook the stuffed tomatoes, I used this 24 cm round aluminum baking pan.
