Eat As the Romans Do: Pomodori Ripieni di Riso.

baked stuffed with rice tomatoes over potatoes

Read Time:5 Minute, 9 Second

Easy Delicious Baked Tomatoes with Rice and Potatoes. Italian Summer is here!

baked tomatoes stuffed with rice over potatoes placed on a white enamel dish pie with a blue decoration

There are not many Summer Roman recipes, maybe because we eat Carbonara in August without flinching. Say that, Rice Stuffed Tomatoes is a canicule dish that you can find in every Rosticceria in Roma.
It is easy to imagine why: they are refreshing (eating cold or room temperature) and quick to make: there is no precooking. You mix all together and bake! Plus: they are naturally gluten-free and vegan and super cheap.

Every region in Italy has its variation on the theme of rice stuffed tomatoes. Some use leftover risotto and add cheese, some other tuna, and capers. Every declination of stuffed tomatoes is delicious, but if you want to taste the Estate Romana at home, follow my recipe and remember: Roman rice stuffed always have potatoes cut in wedges, there is oregano, rice is never pre-cooked, and there is some garlic, but it’s not overpowering. Pomodori col Riso is best eaten cold, or room temp, so better making ahead. Follow the instructions as there is another tip to get a more intense gusto.

Oh, there is also a secret ingredient.

It’s a pinch of cinnamon.
This tip comes from Ada Boni, a famous old-school chef and food writer whose book Il Talismano della Felicità, (1929). A book that is part of the Holy Trinity of cookbooks that every Italian has (or should have) at home:
1) Pellegrino Artusi La Scienza in Cucina e L’Arte del Mangiar Bene
2) Ada Boni Il Talismano della Felicità
3) Il Cucchiaio d’Argento (the only one with the English version The Silver Spoon)

I have the Pellegrino Artusi’s because mamma had it (and I found it only recently, can’t tell you my happiness). My husband brought in dowry the Ada Boni’s Talismano.
They are incredibly different books. I personally love Pellegrino Artusi for the language, simplicity, and scarcity of details ( it tickles my creativity). Same as for Ada Boni (for example: both of the authors don’t give indications about the oven temperature, they just say, warm, medium warm, moderate hot?). There are no pictures, so if you are a beginner in the kitchen, and not very open to trials and errors, I wouldn’t suggest to get them (if an English edition exists).
The third one, Il Cucchiaio d’ Argento, is a more recent cookbook. I don’t have it, as I usually go to their website. Still, I would recommend it if you love Italian cuisine and are looking for authentic Italian recipes. And there is an English version.

The extra touch of cinnamon to the Pomodori Ripieni comes from Ada Boni, but the recipe on the Talismano cookbook doesn’t mention it (maybe it is the Cucina Regionale cookbook, another book of her).
Anyway, I tried both versions, and that one with cinnamon is FANTASTIC!

Ingredients:

(pictures of all the steps here)

4 medium/big plump red tomatoes
1 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice (the rule is 1/4 cup or 2 tbsp of rice per Pomodoro) uncooked
6/7 basil leaves
1/4 cup oregano (it’s a lot but I like very origan-y)
salt 2 tsp
black pepper 2 tsp
2 garlic cloves minced
Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp for potatoes + more for potatoes and to finish
4 o 5 medium gold potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise in wedges
The secret ingredient: 1/4 leveled tsp of cinnamon powder.

How to make Pomodori ripieni di Riso all Romana:

Wash thoroughly and dry the tomatoes. Cut the top and reserve it. Using a knife and a spoon, remove the inside of the tomatoes and place it in a bowl, discarding the hard white core.
Sprinkle tomato shells with salt and cinnamon and set aside.
Mash the tomato’s pulp using your hands (or a potato masher or a food processor) and add all the other ingredients: minced garlic, chopped basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, rice, extra-virgin olive oil and cinnamon. Mix well, cover tight, and for an extra burst of flavor: place this mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour, in this way the rice will absorb part of the water and get super tasty.
Peel and cut potatoes in wedges (possibly the same size so they will bake evenly), add salt and oil, mix well and place it on a baking tray, well spread. I use a silicone mat for baking (like this one) or an enamel pan. (I ? enamelware!!! And this one in the picture, in particular, I bought it when I was in London, in a shopping evening with my dear friends Ana & Marco, how cute it is?). If you don’t have them, baking paper, or nonstick baking pan will work great as well
Fill the tomatoes with the rice mixture and cover each pomodoro with his top. Place tomatoes over potatoes, so they sit comfortably and drizzle with some extra oil. Another tip; If you have leftover sauce from rice, pour it over potatoes, they will taste amazing
Bake at 350 F for 40/50 mins. To get a beautiful brown color, I switch the oven to convection mode for the last 10 minutes.

As I said, be patient, eat rice-stuffed tomatoes once cold. Bring them to the beach (in a cooler, as tomato turns easily rancid under the hot sun), to a picnic, to a brunch, or spoil yourself for an at-home weekday lunch or dinner.