Photo courtesy of Iola Rippo
On a hot July day, while spending time at the seaside off the coast of Tuscany, I was lucky enough to have my Roman friends Iola and Stefano show me how they make this classic dish- perfect for this time of year when tomatoes are ripe and juicy.
It’s a great make ahead piatto unico, best if consumed at room temperature and it’s a great option when you are bringing a dish for a potluck- wow effect guaranteed!
Serves 6
12 ripe medium sized plum or roma tomatoes
12 tablespoons of Arborio rice
6 medium yellow potatoes
6 sprigs of oregano, marjoram or thyme (or a combination)
1/4 bunch of parsley
2 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil quanto basta
salt and pepper quanto basta
1) Wash and dry 12 medium-sized ripe plum tomatoes. Using a knife, cut the top off each tomato to about 2/3 of its height, then hollow it out from the seeds and flesh with the help of a spoon to avoid piercing it. Transfer the insides of the tomatoes into a bowl. If you want a very smooth puree you can use blender but I quite like the chunks and seeds personally.
2) Peel 2 cloves of garlic, remove the central core; wash the herbs, detach the leaves and chop them finely together with the garlic. Add the aromatic mixture to the crushed tomatoes, add 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and mix very well, so that the flavors blend together. Add 12 tablespoons of raw rice to the mixture, stir and let it rest for 60 minutes in a cool place. Meanwhile, line a baking dish with parchment paper.
3) Peel the potatoes and cut them in wedges. Keep them in cold water for at least 30 min while you are waiting for the rice.
4) Dry the potatoes well with a cloth, place them in a bowl and coat with olive oil, add salt and pepper.
3) Fill the tomatoes no more than half way with the rice and sauce, place the caps you removed on each one and transfer them to a tall baking dish. Place the potatoes in between the tomatoes, dress everything with a littel more extra virgin olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 200° C for about 60 minutes or until the caps get nicely charred.
4) Remove the stuffed tomatoes from the oven, let them cool and serve them directly in the baking dish. They are also excellent the day after.
Photo courtesy of Iola Rippo