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Overhead view of rice-stuffed tomatoes with roasted potato wedges on a ceramic plate, basil garnish and olive oil sheen

Roman Pomodori Ripieni di Riso with Roasted Potatoes

Whole tomatoes stuffed with raw rice, garlic and basil, baked with potato wedges until the rice is tender and the skins slump into a jammy shell.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian (Roman)
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Tomatoes
  • 8 large ripe tomatoes (about 200g each); tops sliced off and reserved as lids
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt for seasoning the scooped insides
For the Rice Filling
  • 200 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice uncooked
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 15 g fresh basil leaves torn
  • 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and black pepper to taste
For the Potatoes
  • 600 g Yukon gold potatoes cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt to taste

Method
 

Prep the Tomatoes
  1. Heat the oven to 180C / 350F.
  2. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve as lids. Scoop out pulp and seeds with a teaspoon into a bowl, leaving 1 cm-thick walls.
  3. Sprinkle the insides with salt and set the tomatoes upside down on a rack for 10 minutes to drain.
Make the Filling
  1. Chop the reserved tomato pulp roughly and mix it with the rice, garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper until the rice is well coated.
Stuff and Arrange
  1. Spoon the rice filling into the tomatoes, filling to about three-quarters full since the rice will expand as it cooks. Set the lids back on.
  2. Arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish. Tuck the potato wedges around them, then drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and salt.
Bake
  1. Bake uncovered for 60-70 minutes until the rice grains are fully tender with no hard center and the tomato skins have slumped and started to caramelize at the edges.
  2. Check one tomato at the 55-minute mark. If the rice still has bite, add 10 ml of water to the dish and bake for another 10 minutes.
  3. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Drain salted tomato insides for a full 10 minutes, don't rush this step.
  • Use tomatoes of similar size so they finish cooking at the same time.
  • Reserve tomato lids and prop them open slightly if the filling looks dry.
  • Taste rice for doneness before pulling the pan, not just by color.