A vibrant dish that can serve as a starter, side or part of a spread
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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I use beef tomatoes for this as our vine tomatoes are too small (falling apart before the stuffing cooks). But look out for large vine tomatoes; I’ve given an approximate weight. These are easy to make but take a little care. Don’t skip the part where you let the stuffing sit.
Requires resting and cooling time
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
1 hr
10 mins
Serves
4
as part of a spread of dishes
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes, about 180g each
- 6 tbsp arborio rice
- 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
- 60g Parmesan, grated (or vegetarian alternative)
- 10 basil leaves, torn
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Method
Step
Cut a ‘hat’ off 4 large tomatoes (weighing about 180g each), a sixth of the way down. Keep the lids.
Step
Carefully scoop out the insides of the tomatoes using a spoon and a small serrated knife.
Step
Put the pulp, juices and flesh in a food processor and whizz. Push the purée through a sieve, getting every bit of filling and juice, and discard the bitter seeds.
Step
Sprinkle a little salt inside each tomato and turn them upside down on a baking sheet with a lip. Leave to drain.
Step
Put the sieved pulp and juices in a bowl and add the 6 tbsp arborio rice, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 60g grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), 10 torn basil leaves and 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Let this sit for a couple of hours. This is important as the rice absorbs some of the juices.
Step
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 170C fan/gas mark 4.
Step
Drizzle a little oil in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish where the tomatoes can sit snugly. Keep the juices that have come out of the tomatoes on to the baking sheet.
Step
Put the tomatoes in the tin or dish, spoon a little oil into each one and season.
Step
Season the stuffing – more than you think you should – and fill the tomatoes.
Step
Divide the tomato juices from the tray between them. Put the tomato ‘lids’ on and spoon some extra-virgin olive oil over the top.
Step
Roast for 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes, checking the tomatoes every so often. Scoop up any juices that come out of the tomatoes, lift the lids and spoon them inside.
Step
By the end of the cooking time, the tomatoes should be soft and wrinkled, the rice tender.
Step
Leave to cool for a while. Some people prefer them at room temperature; I like them warm.