The oven-baked tuna stuffed tomatoes are a light and tasty summer dish, perfect to serve cold as an appetizer or main course. They are made with vine tomatoes, hollowed out and stuffed with a savory filling made of canned tuna, stale bread, capers, and anchovies. After a short bake in the oven, the tomatoes become tender yet firm, making them ideal to prepare in advance and enjoy cold or at room temperature.
This recipe is an excellent alternative to classic stuffed vegetables, such as traditional tuna stuffed zucchini, rice stuffed tomatoes or meat stuffed eggplants. It is a simple and quick preparation, perfect for those looking for a meat-free summer recipe, tasty and also suitable for buffets or light lunches.
If you are looking for an easy, delicious dish suitable for the whole family, oven-baked tuna stuffed tomatoes are the ideal choice!
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall, August 15th
- Energy 344.98 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.29 (g) of which sugars 7.29 (g)
- Proteins 22.62 (g)
- Fat 10.19 (g) of which saturated 2.89 (g)of which unsaturated 4.62 (g)
- Fibers 5.45 (g)
- Sodium 596.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 240 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 for Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes
- 2.2 lbs vine tomatoes
- 2 oz bread (for me gluten-free)
- 7 oz canned tuna (weighed drained)
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 tbsp capers in salt
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Melon Baller
- 1 Blender
- 1 Baking Dish
How to Prepare Oven-Baked Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes
To prepare the tuna stuffed tomatoes, start by placing the bread pieces in a blender (1). Add the drained tuna, anchovies, previously desalinated capers, parmesan, and parsley (2). Thoroughly wash the tomatoes and cut off the top (3).
Use a melon baller or a spoon to hollow them out (4), leaving about 0.1 inch (5). Remove the seeds and the water from the pulp, then add it to the other ingredients in the blender (6).
Blend until you get a homogeneous mixture that is not too fine (7). Adjust the salt and add the egg (8). Mix well with a spoon to combine everything (9).
Lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes, then fill them with the tuna mixture (10); cover them with their tops. Lightly grease a baking dish and arrange the stuffed tomatoes so they stay upright and close together (11); drizzle them with some olive oil. Bake them in a preheated oven at 356°F (static) for 40-50 minutes. When the stuffed tomatoes are golden and slightly swollen, remove them from the oven (12) and let them cool completely.
You can serve the tuna stuffed tomatoes at room temperature or cold, after letting them rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Storage
Store the tuna stuffed tomatoes in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 2 days.
Tips and Variations
If you prefer a creamy filling, you can blend the mixture even after adding the egg, until you get a very fine consistency, almost like a pâté. If you like, you can add a crushed clove of garlic to the filling.
