Grandma’s Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are a delicious dish from Italian tradition, perfect as an appetizer or as a side dish. Here is the recipe to prepare them in the classic way.

Ingredients

• 6 ripe but firm tomatoes
• 200 g of stale bread
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley to taste
• Fresh basil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A bit of milk (to soften the bread)

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the top cap off the tomatoes and gently hollow them out with a teaspoon. Set aside the extracted pulp.
3. Sauté the tomato pulp in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until it slightly reduces.
4. Meanwhile, crumble the stale bread into a bowl and moisten it with a bit of milk to soften it.
5. To the bread, add the cooked tomato pulp, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and basil, the other finely chopped clove of garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
6. Fill the tomatoes with this mixture without pressing too hard.
7. Arrange the tomatoes in an oiled baking dish and cover them with the cap you cut off.
8. Bake and cook the stuffed tomatoes for about 20-25 minutes or until they are well browned.

Serve the stuffed tomatoes hot or at room temperature, according to your preference.

Curiosity

According to the tradition of some Italian regions, particularly coastal ones, it is common to also add canned tuna or chopped anchovies to give the stuffed tomatoes an extra touch of flavor. A simple dish but full of history and flavors of the Mediterranean.