Chef Graziella
Caponata Siciliana
The great sweet-sour eggplant dish of Sicily, where each vegetable is fried separately then united in a tomato sauce sharpened with vinegar and softened with a little sugar. This is not a recipe to rush.
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Pomodori Ripieni al Forno
Created by
Hollowed summer tomatoes filled with herbed breadcrumbs and baked until the tops turn golden and the flesh becomes sweet and yielding. Cucina povera at its most satisfying.
Main Dishes
Italian, Tuscan
Weeknight
Make Ahead
Comfort Food
30 min
Active Time
50 min cook•1 hr 20 min total
Yield6 servings
This is peasant cooking, which means it is honest cooking. Tuscan farm wives did not stuff tomatoes because they sought creativity. They stuffed them because tomatoes grew abundantly in the garden and stale bread sat on the counter, and waste was not permitted.
The filling is nothing more than bread, herbs, oil, and a whisper of garlic. Two cloves for six tomatoes, minced to a paste so it distributes evenly and mellows in the heat. Americans would add five cloves and call it Italian. They would be wrong.
What matters here is the tomato itself. It must be ripe enough to perfume your kitchen when you slice it, firm enough to stand upright through an hour of baking. Hothouse tomatoes grown for shipping will not do. Summer tomatoes, warm from the vine or at least from the farmers' market, are what this dish requires. If you cannot find them, wait until you can. Some dishes demand their season.
Pomodori ripieni appear across Italy wherever tomatoes grow, but the Tuscan version, restrained and bread-based, reflects the region's obsession with using stale bread. In a land where bread was baked weekly and waste was sin, every scrap found purpose. The stuffed tomato likely evolved in the 19th century, after tomatoes finally overcame two centuries of Italian suspicion and became a summer staple.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
6 large (about 3 pounds)
ripe but firm
day-old country bread
Quantity
2 cups
crusts removed, torn into small pieces
flat-leaf Italian parsley
Quantity
1/4 cup leaves
chopped fine
fresh basil leaves
Quantity
12
torn
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
minced to a paste
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/3 cup, plus more for drizzling
capers
Quantity
2 tablespoons
rinsed and chopped
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
1/2 cup
freshly grated
kosher salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| ripe tomatoesripe but firm | 6 large (about 3 pounds) |
| day-old country breadcrusts removed, torn into small pieces | 2 cups |
| flat-leaf Italian parsleychopped fine | 1/4 cup leaves |
| fresh basil leavestorn | 12 |
| garlic clovesminced to a paste | 2 |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/3 cup, plus more for drizzling |
| capersrinsed and chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofreshly grated | 1/2 cup |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Melon baller or small spoon for hollowing
- •Ceramic or earthenware baking dish
- •Wire rack for draining
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the tomatoes
Slice the top quarter off each tomato and set these caps aside. Using a small spoon or melon baller, carefully hollow out the interior, leaving walls about half an inch thick. Work over a bowl to catch the pulp and juices. The tomatoes should stand upright without wobbling. If necessary, slice a thin piece from the bottom to create a stable base, but do not cut through to the interior.
Choose tomatoes that are ripe enough to be fragrant but still firm enough to hold their shape during baking. Overripe tomatoes collapse into puddles. - 2
Salt and drain
Sprinkle the inside of each hollowed tomato with a pinch of salt. Turn them upside down on a rack set over a baking sheet and let them drain for 20 minutes. This removes excess moisture that would make the filling soggy. While the tomatoes drain, strain the reserved pulp, discarding the seeds. Chop the pulp coarsely and set aside.
- 3
Make the filling
In a bowl, combine the torn bread with three tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss until the bread absorbs the oil evenly. Add the chopped tomato pulp, parsley, basil, garlic, capers, and half the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands. The filling should hold together loosely when squeezed but not be wet or pasty.
- 4
Fill the tomatoes
Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the inside of each drained tomato dry with paper towels. Spoon the filling into each cavity, mounding it slightly above the rim. Do not pack it tightly. The filling needs space to develop a crust. Place the filled tomatoes in a baking dish where they fit snugly without touching. Scatter the remaining Parmigiano over the tops.
A snug fit prevents the tomatoes from toppling as they soften. A ceramic or earthenware dish retains heat more evenly than metal. - 5
Bake slowly
Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the filled tomatoes and around the base of the dish. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until the tops are deeply golden and the tomato flesh has softened and begun to wrinkle at the edges. The filling should be crisp on top but moist within. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final 15 minutes.
- 6
Rest and serve
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. The tomatoes are fragile when hot and will hold together better after resting. Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with a thread of your best olive oil. The reserved tomato caps can be placed jauntily on top or alongside, though this is optional vanity.
Chef Tips
- •Day-old bread is essential. Fresh bread becomes gummy. If your bread is too fresh, tear it and spread it on a baking sheet for an hour to dry out.
- •The tomatoes can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold the next day. They improve as the flavors meld. Pack them for a picnic.
- •For a vegan preparation, omit the Parmigiano-Reggiano entirely. The dish does not suffer. Add a few more capers or a tablespoon of pine nuts for interest.
- •Save the tomato tops and roast them alongside the filled tomatoes for the final 15 minutes. They become concentrated and sweet, perfect for eating by the cook while pretending to check on the dish.
Advance Preparation
- •The tomatoes can be hollowed, salted, and drained up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them inverted on the rack, covered loosely, at room temperature.
- •The filling can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before stuffing.
- •Baked tomatoes keep for 2 days refrigerated. Serve at room temperature or reheat gently at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 stuffed tomato (about 220g)
Calories
235 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
6 mg
Sodium
470 mg
Total Carbohydrates
15 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
6 g
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