Ingredients
- salt
- 2/3 cup Arborio or medium-grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ripe but firm large tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Step 1
BRING A MEDIUM SAUCEPAN of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and simmer over medium heat until just cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the rice under cold running water. Drain well. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of oil. Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato, reserving the tops. Scoop out the seeds, pulp and juice fromeach tomato into a small bowl. Place the hollowed tomatoes into the baking dish.
Add 1/2 cup of the tomato pulp to the rice and toss to coat. Stir in the basil, parsley, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly. Replace the reserved tops and bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. The stuffed tomatoes can be made up to 4 hour ahead of time.