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Vegetarian, Italy

Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice and potatoes

Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice are an Italian dish for 4 people, ready in 75 minutes, easy to make and costing €2.10 per person. Raw rice cooks right inside the tomatoes with their juice, while potatoes roast alongside in the same pan. The key is not overfilling the tomatoes, since the rice swells as it cooks.

Rice stuffed tomatoes are the Roman Sunday dish, baked alongside golden potatoes in the same pan.

Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice and potatoes
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.10
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer
The kids
They generally like it

In Rome, stuffed tomatoes never go without potatoes roasting beside them, that's the trick that makes the dish. The rice cooks slowly inside the tomato pulp and juice, soaking up their gentle acidity and the basil, while the potatoes brown in the same heat and catch the juices that spill over a little. The result is soft on the inside and slightly charred on top of the tomatoes.

This is a Sunday kind of dish, one you slide into the oven and nearly forget about for an hour. At Mon Chou, we like this recipe because it takes few hands on steps but plenty of oven time, perfect for a summer family meal when tomatoes are at their best. Kids often love the soft potatoes even more than the tomatoes themselves, and that's perfectly fine.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Large round tomatoes 8
  • Potatoes 600 g
  • Basil 10 sprigs
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Arborio or round riceoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Oreganooften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut a cap off the top of each tomato, hollow them out with a spoon, and keep the pulp and juice. 5 min

    Salt the inside of the tomatoes, they'll release their water and taste even better.

  2. Roughly blend the tomato pulp and mix it with the raw rice, garlic, chopped basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 2 min

    Let it rest for 20 minutes, the rice starts soaking up the juice.

  3. Fill the tomatoes only three quarters full and set the caps back on top. 3 min

    The rice swells as it cooks, so don't overfill them.

  4. Peel the potatoes, cut them into wedges, and arrange them around the tomatoes with the oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. 3 min

    Rub the potatoes in the oil with your hands, they brown more evenly that way.

  5. Bake at 190°C until the rice is cooked through and the potatoes are nicely golden. 50 min

    Pierce a grain of rice with the tip of a knife, it should be tender.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick firm, meaty tomatoes, they hold their shape better during baking and won't collapse into mush.
  • If the rice isn't fully cooked after 50 minutes but the tomatoes are already browning too much, cover the dish with foil to finish cooking without burning.
  • Arrange the tomatoes snugly against each other in the baking dish, they stay upright more easily and lose less juice.

The variations

  • Swap the arborio rice for plain round rice or basmati, adjusting the cooking time depending on the type you use.
  • Stir a bit of grated parmesan into the filling for a richer version, without changing the character of the dish.
  • For a faster version, parboil the rice for 10 minutes before stuffing the tomatoes, which cuts the oven time down to about 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A crisp green salad
  • Crusty bread for soaking up juices
  • A glass of lemon water

Storage

Stuffed tomatoes keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. They freeze well once cooked and cooled. Reheat in the oven at 160°C so the rice doesn't dry out too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you prepare stuffed tomatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the filling and stuff the tomatoes a few hours ahead, then keep them in the refrigerator. Bake them right before the meal so they come out hot and tender.

Why does the rice need to be raw in the filling?

Raw rice gradually absorbs the tomato juice as it bakes, which gives it all its flavor. Pre-cooked rice would turn out mushier and less flavorful.

Can you use a different rice instead of arborio?

Yes, plain round rice works just as well, since it absorbs tomato juice in the same way. Avoid long grain rice like basmati without adjusting the time, since it cooks faster.

Do stuffed tomatoes freeze well?

Yes, once cooked and fully cooled, they freeze without any issue. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven to bring back their texture.

How long does it take to make Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice and potatoes?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice and potatoes?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Roman stuffed tomatoes with rice and potatoes cost?

About €2.10 per serving, or €8.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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