Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 12 cluster tomatoes (about 7 oz each)
• Vialone Nano rice (8.8 oz)
• 3½ oz scamorza (provola) cheese (3.5 oz), cut into small cubes
• pecorino cheese (about 0.3 cup), grated
• Grana Padano (about 0.3 cup), grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp basil leaves, torn, plus extra to serve
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the dish and tomatoes

Method

1. Cut a lid off the top of each tomato and set the lids aside. Scoop out the seeds and pulp into a bowl, taking care not to pierce the shells. Lightly salt the insides of the shells and turn them upside down on kitchen paper to drain for 20 minutes.
2. Blitz or finely chop the scooped pulp and pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds. You need about 1¾ cups of tomato juice and pulp.
3. Combine the rice with the tomato pulp, garlic, parsley, basil, pecorino, Grana Padano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave the rice to soak in the mixture for 30 minutes so it begins to absorb the tomato.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a baking dish that holds the tomatoes snugly.
5. Fold the scamorza cubes through the rice mixture. Fill each tomato shell about three-quarters full (the rice expands as it cooks) and replace the lids.
6. Arrange the tomatoes in the dish, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and add any leftover tomato juices around them.
7. Bake for 55–65 minutes until the rice is tender and the tomato skins are soft and lightly blistered. If the tops colour too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
8. Rest for 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature, scattered with extra basil — in Rome these are often served alongside roast potato wedges.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 70 min · Total: 100 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data