Pomodori Imbottiti

POMODORI IMBOTTITI

Stuffed Tomatoes

To pair with my Neapolitan Pork Chops, I chose this recipe from The Italian Cookbook. Again, this choice may have been made out of a desperation to use the prolific amount of produce my backyard gardening is, well, producing!

Normally this recipe would call for 6 large tomatoes (like beefsteaks or some other big, spherical tomato), but since romas are what seem to be exploding out of my garden, romas are what I used.

Pomodori Imbottiti/Stuffed Tomatoes

1 C precooked rice

4 oz process cheese food (see below)

1 chopped clove garlic

6 large, firm tomatoes (or several of whatever kind of tomato you have on hand)

Before I begin the recipe, I need to say a few words about this “process cheese food.” When I showed this recipe to my husband, we agreed that what we think the authors were calling for was either something akin to that canned aerated cheese, or something like the little plastic-wrapped “singles.” I don’t plan on ever buying either of those products, except maybe for a party gimmick recipe. Instead, I substituted 1 C of grated Fontina, a nice melty Italian cheese. You can use any cheese you like in this recipe, but I would recommend actual cheese instead of “process cheese food.”

Heat olive oil in skillet and lightly brown garlic. Mix garlic, oil, cheese, and rice together and set aside. I also added some basil and oregano to my mixture to make it feel a little more Italian and add the extra oomph of flavor that so many of these recipes are missing.

Rinse and remove stems from tomatoes. Remove tops of tomatoes and set aside. I didn’t do the part where the recipe says to replace the tomato caps because the romas were so small. Remove the “guts” from the tomatoes, being careful not to cut through the bottom. Strain the pulp and set aside the liquid.

Fill tomatoes with rice mixture. The mixture in the recipe did not make enough to fill all of my tomatoes, so I used some of the leftover meat mixture from the cabbage rolls. Sprinkle remaining tomato liquid over the tomatoes and replace tops. Place tomatoes in baking dish and sprinkle with olive oil. Bake at 375^oF for 20 to 25 minutes.

These were a really big hit with everyone who tried them (thank you again to my friends and coworkers for helping us eat the leftovers!), although they were missing a certain amount of salt. I think from now on I will just add a little more salt and pepper than the recipes call for to balance out the flavors.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!