Juicy tomatoes, smooth rice, and crunchy potatoes: here is the recipe
Rice stuffed tomatoes, better known in Rome as pomodori col riso, is a summer staple of Roman fast food. You can find this dish in every rosticceria for a healthy lunch or snack.
A simple recipe, but not bland
Rice stuffed tomatoes is a dish made with very few ingredients: large and ripe tomatoes, raw rice, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and potatoes (yes, potatoes!). The idea is simple: hollow out the tomatoes, use their pulp to prepare a filling seasoned with raw rice and herbs, stuff them again, and bake them with the potatoes cut into large pieces. The result? Magic: the rice cooks, absorbing all the tomato juice, the potatoes are flavored with the cooking juices, and everything smells of summer.
The origins of rice stuffed tomatoes
This dish has popular roots, like so many good things in Roman cuisine. We don’t know exactly when it was originated, but probably we need to date back to the early 20th century. When people tried to avoid wasting anything. Ripe tomatoes were abundant in the summer and rice was cheap. The idea of baking them all together (perhaps early in the morning when it was cooler) was perfect. Then eating them cold in the evening. In Rome, even today, many families prepare this dish in the morning and then take it to the beach or on a trip, or simply eat it cold for lunch or dinner. This is one of those dishes that the longer it sits, the better it gets.
Ingredients
You will need per person:
2 medium-sized rounded, ripe BUT firm tomatoes
3 spoons of rice (best Arborio or Carnaroli, but any NOT parboiled rice is fine)
2 medium-size potatoes
To taste
Minced cloves of garlic
fresh chopped basil,
olive oil
salt
Preparation
Wash and dry the tomatoes. With a sharp knife, cut the tops off and set aside. You will need them to cover the tomatoes before placing in the oven. With a small knife and a spoon scoop the pulp of the tomatoes. Be careful not to break the skin. Put the tomatoes pulp in a bowl, add garlic, basil, salt and a drizzle of olive oil and mix well. Then, let the rice rest for at least two hours (or even overnight. The longer, the better). Peel and cut the potatoes into small but not too thin pieces. Fill each tomato until about 3/4 full. Do not overfill or your tomatoes will split open when the rice expands! Place each tomato in a baking pan, greased with a olive oil (or cover with baking paper) and fill in all the holes with the potatoes. Drizzle olive oil over everything. Use the rest of the filling, if you have any, over the potatoes. Bake in the oven for approximately one hour. Check the tomatoes starting for 45 minutes as, depending on the type of rice, cooking time will vary.
