Svetlana’s Recipes

Ingredients:

-1 cup short-grain white rice (cooked)
-6 ripe but firm large tomatoes
-4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 garlic clove, minced
-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato; reserve the tomato tops
3. Cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a small bowl
4. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp
5. Oil the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil
6. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish
7. Toss the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp
8. Add garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste; combine well
9. Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly
10. Sprinkle leftover stuffing on the bottom of the pan
11. Drizzle entire dish with olive oil
12. Place the reserved tomato slices atop the tomatoes
13. Bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes
14. Serve hot or at room temperature