Roman-style rice-stuffed tomatoes as Grandma made them, a typical Roman dish, simple yet rich in flavor, often prepared in the summer. If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can cook them in an air fryer.
This is the original Roman version that my grandma made, almost every Sunday. She didn’t use a scale but only a spoon, seasoning the rice with the tomato juice, some basil leaves, garlic, and a ladle of water to aid the cooking.
My grandma prepared the tomatoes with rice in the morning, let them rest covered, as the colder they are, the better they taste. If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can try the air fryer tomatoes with a grandma’s trick or cooked in a skillet.
To make this fabulous Roman recipe for rice-stuffed tomatoes, use red, round, and juicy tomatoes. Remove the top, scoop out the insides without discarding them, and add raw seasoned rice. Then bake them accompanied by potatoes that absorb all the tomato flavor.
If you haven’t tried this fantastic Roman recipe yet, get the few simple ingredients, follow grandma’s tips, and you’ll see how delicious it is.
Let’s see what we need to make Roman-style rice-stuffed tomatoes as Grandma made them
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, All seasons
Ingredients
OVEN-BAKED ROMAN STYLE RICE-STUFFED TOMATOES THE AUTHENTIC GRANDMA’S RECIPE
- 4 tomatoes (red round)
- potatoes (as many as you like)
- basil
- 1 clove garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- water
- rice (1 tablespoon per tomato)
Tools
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
- 1 Baking dish
Steps
HOW TO PREPARE ROMAN STYLE RICE-STUFFED TOMATOES
Wash the tomatoes, then cut off the tops and set them aside. Scoop out the insides and use an immersion blender to blend the pulp. Season it with salt, basil, garlic, and about three tablespoons of oil. Mix well, then add the rice, one tablespoon per tomato. Mix again and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This way, the rice will absorb all the flavors and begin cooking.
In the meantime, season the hollowed tomatoes with salt and place them upside down. Peel the potatoes, cut them into large pieces, and set them aside.
Arrange the tomatoes with the potatoes in a baking dish. If you’d like, line it with parchment paper. Fill the tomatoes with the reserved rice. Any remaining rice can be scattered over the potatoes. Adjust with additional salt, oil, basil, place the tops back on each tomato, and finally add a ladle of water. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 35-40 minutes, but adjust based on your oven and check the rice’s doneness.
ADVICE
IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN PRE-COOK THE POTATOES. YOU’LL FIND ALL THE TIPS IN THIS RECIPE
I RECOMMEND USING CARNAROLI RICE
QUESTIONS
WHAT TYPE OF TOMATOES DO YOU RECOMMEND USING?
I RECOMMEND ROUND RED CLUSTER TOMATOES EVEN IF THEY’RE SMALLER, BUT NOT THE ONES FOR RICE-STUFFED TOMATOES, AS THEY TEND TO BURST DURING COOKING.
