Vegetarians will love this easy recipe for giant tomatoes stuffed with some of Italy's finest things, including delightfully cheesy Parmesan rice.
Ingredients
- 8 large beef tomatoes (about 200g each), such as Marmande
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g long grain rice
- 30g Mi-Cuit sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (we used Merchant Gourmet)
- 300ml vegetable stock, hot
- 15g fresh basil leaves, finely shredded, plus extra leaves to garnish
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 25g vegetarian Parmesan, finely grated
Method
- 1. Cut a 2cm thick slice off the top of each beef tomato. Scoop out the pulp with a melon baller or teaspoon into a bowl and set aside.
- 2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat, until soft but not browned.
- 3. Add the tomato pulp to the pan, increase the heat slightly, and simmer vigorously for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture is well-reduced and thickened.
- 4. Stir in the rice, sun-dried tomatoes and the vegetable stock, cover and leave to cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the rice is only half-cooked. Stir in the basil, lemon zest and Parmesan and season to taste.
- 5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Put the hollowed out tomatoes into a lightly oiled baking dish and fill with the rice mixture. Replace the tops and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the rice is cooked through. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with a crisp mixed salad.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 300kcals, 9.1g fat (2.3g saturated), 8.6g protein, 47.2g carbs, 14.1g sugar, 0.3g salt
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: A fruity, ripe, bright Provence rosé will stand up to these flavours well.