Pomodori ripieni (tomatoes filled with rice)

10 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 pounds Tomatoes, all same size,
Not too ripe
Salt
2 tablespoons Chopped flat-leaf parsley
⅓ cup Basil, minced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Marjoram, minced
5 Mint leaves, chopped
¾ cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 boiling potatoes,
Peeled, cut in half
Crosswise, then sliced
Lengthwise 1/2-in thick
¼ teaspoon Dried oregano

Directions

Cook tomatoes in an oven hot enough for a pizza? Fill them with such a small amount of rice? It works magnificently. The extreme heat concentrates the flavor and sweetness of the tomatoes and brings out moisture that, along with the oil, cooks the rice perfectly. A clever cook slides individual slices of potatoes between the tomatoes to separate them in the baking pan. The olive oil cooks the potato slices. If you want, you can take the tomatoes out of the pan when they're done and continue to cook the potatoes until crisp.

Wash and dry tomatoes thoroughly. Cut horizontal slice at top of each tomato to form flap that will cover tomato when it it cooked and served; do not cut through.

Cut tiny, dime sized piece out of bottom so tomato will balance easily.

Carefully scoop out the pulp with small paring knife and spoon, leaving shell ¼ to ⅜-in thick. Discard seeds and juices. Salt interiors of tomatoes and let them drain upside down while preparing filling. Chop pulp and put in bowl.

Mix parsley, basil, garlic, majoram, mint, and 1t salt with chopped tomato pulp. Stir in rice and 1/4c olive oil. Season to taste with salt and mix well.

Place tomatoes in lightly oiled baking pan sufficient to hold them without crowding. Tuck potato slices between tomatoes. (Potatoes help prop up the tomatoes, so place them where you need them.) Spoon rice filling into tomatoes, Let extra filling overflow onto potatoes. Drizzle 2T olive oil over tops of tomatoes and potatoes and sprinkle with oregano. Put top of flap over tomato to cover.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, baste tomatoes with liquid accumulated in pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes. Siphon off excess liquid with bulb baster. If potatoes need extra cooking to become crisp, leave them in oven until browned.

CDR 10/1/97

Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #259 by Carole <caroleru@...> on Oct 01, 1997

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