Description
This dish celebrates summer-ripe tomatoes and is perfect to serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of wine.
Ingredients
4 large, ripe tomatoes
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup Parmesan, shredded
sea salt
For the stuffing
½ pound beef
½ pound pork
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, finely diced*
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence, optional
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cut the tops off each tomato and reserve.
Using a paring knife or spoon, remove the seeds and scoop out the inside pulp of each tomato, being careful to keep the tomato shells intact. Do not discard the pulp. Lightly sprinkle the interiors of the tomatoes with sea salt and turn them upside down on a rack to drain excess water.
Purée the reserved tomato pulp. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the puréed tomato into the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside
Combine the stuffing ingredients. Do not overwork the mixture.
Stuff each tomato with enough filling to make a slight mound above the rim of the tomato shell. Don’t overstuff or pack in the filling or it may not cook through. Please the tomatoes into the baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place a cut tomato top on each tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes then allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
Notes
*If you prefer your onions very soft, you may sauté them for 5 minutes in a little olive oil before adding to the stuffing mixture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main dishes
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Calories: 513.3
- Sugar: 6.96 g.
- Sodium: 713.45 mg.
- Fat: 37.2 g.
- Saturated Fat: 12.38 g.
- Carbohydrates: 21.09 g.
- Fiber: 3.71 g.
- Protein: 28.38 g.
- Cholesterol: 129.84 mg
Keywords: tomato, ground beef, ground pork