Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice

This stuffed tomato recipe can be served as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course. It’s naturally gluten and wheat free and can be made in advance and then just popped in the oven when you are ready for it. It’s simple to make yet surprisingly tasty.

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice
6 ripe but firm large tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil - plus extra for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove - minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan

Information

Serves: 4

Diet: Gluten and Wheat Free

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Type: Snacks

Method

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins

Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring periodically, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.

Preheat the oven 180°C, 160°C fan, 350°F, gas mark 4.

Cut the top off each tomato and keep the tops for later. Scoop out the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato and place in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp.

Oil the bottom of an 8” by 8” baking tray with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Place the hollowed-out tomatoes in the prepared dish.

Mix the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp, add the garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season to taste and make sure it is mixed well.

Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed-out tomatoes. Any leftover rice can be sprinkled on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the entire dish with olive oil and place the tomato tops back on to the tomatoes. Bake for around 20 minutes and serve either hot or at room temperature.

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