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Italian Stuffed Tomatoes
Italian stuffed tomatoes are one of those quietly impressive dishes that look beautiful on the table but are actually very simple to make. Large ripe tomatoes are hollowed out and filled with a rich, savoury risotto-style mixture, then baked until soft, sweet, and full of flavour. They’re comforting, a little bit elegant, and perfect when you want something that feels special without being complicated.
Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes
These Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes turn ripe tomatoes into a beautiful meal all on their own. Filled with a creamy risotto made with arborio rice, roasted red peppers, olives, parmesan, and melted bocconcini, they're baked until the tomatoes are tender and bursting with flavour. I love serving them alongside grilled chicken or as a vegetarian main with a crisp salad. They're comforting, hearty, and a wonderful way to celebrate simple Italian ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 100g arborio rice
- 1 1/4 cup hot chicken stock
- 60g roasted red pepper, finely chopped
- 40g Kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 25g Parmesan, finely grated
- 100g bocconcini, torn or diced
- Olive oil spray
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (fan) or 220°C (conventional).
- Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out the innards and discard or reserve for another use (see notes).
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until mostly reduced.
- Stir through the arborio rice, then begin adding the hot chicken stock a ladleful at a time, stirring as the rice absorbs each addition. Continue until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is just par-cooked, about 12-15 minutes. The rice will finish cooking in the oven.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the roasted red pepper, olives, and Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the filling into the hollowed tomatoes, pressing it in gently. Top each tomato with torn bocconcini to form a little lid. Spray lightly with olive oil and place on a lined baking tray.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft, the filling is cooked through, and the bocconcini is golden and bubbling.
Notes
- The tomato innards don't need to go to waste. Blend or roughly chop them with a drizzle of olive oil, a clove of garlic, some fresh basil, and a pinch of salt for a quick no-cook tomato pasta sauce. It's brilliant tossed through hot pasta with a little Parmesan.
- Use large, firm tomatoes that will hold their shape during baking. Vine-ripened tomatoes work beautifully here.
- Par-cooking the rice before stuffing the tomatoes is important. The rice won't have enough time or moisture to cook through properly inside the tomato alone, so getting it most of the way there on the stovetop means it finishes perfectly in the oven.
- Roasted red peppers from a jar are a great time-saver here. Drain them well before chopping so they don't make the filling watery.
- Kalamata olives add a lovely briny depth. Chop them finely so the flavour distributes evenly through the filling rather than coming in big chunks.
- The bocconcini lid is both practical and delicious. It seals in the filling and goes beautifully golden in the oven. Torn pieces melt more evenly than whole balls.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Not suitable for freezing as the tomatoes become very soft and watery after defrosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 322mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Serve this with
- Serve with Romano chicken for a hearty Italian-inspired dinner. The crisp, cheesy chicken works beautifully with the juicy tomatoes and creamy risotto filling.
- Pair with my simple rocket and Parmesan salad. The peppery leaves and salty cheese add freshness and stop the stuffed tomatoes from feeling too rich.
- Add grilled Italian sausages or lamb cutlets with a spoonful of basil pesto. The smoky meat and herby pesto turn the tomatoes into a generous main meal.
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Giant Italian Stuffed Tomatoes and Excellent Decisions
This recipe came about in the most ordinary way possible, which is often how the best ones start. I popped into Aldi with the very modest intention of buying a single tomato for lunch. That was the plan. One tomato, quick in and out, no distractions. And then I saw them. The biggest tomatoes I’ve come across in ages. Properly oversized, beautifully ripe, and sitting there like they knew exactly what they were doing. The kind of ingredient that immediately makes you pause and rethink your entire plan.
Naturally, I bought them.
Because when you’re faced with tomatoes like that, you don’t argue. You adapt. And in this case, adapting meant abandoning the idea of a quick wrap and instead committing to something a little more interesting. Stuffed tomatoes felt like the obvious choice. It’s one of those dishes that just makes sense when the produce is right. Big tomatoes practically ask to be hollowed out and filled with something rich and savoury.
It had actually been years since I last made stuffed tomatoes, which feels slightly ridiculous given how much I lean towards Italian and Mediterranean cooking. But that’s how it goes sometimes. Recipes quietly drift out of rotation, not because you’ve stopped liking them, but because something else takes their place. Then one day, the right ingredient shows up and reminds you exactly why you loved them in the first place.
The timing worked out perfectly too. I was cooking dinner for date number three, and I wanted something that felt thoughtful without being over the top. Nothing too complicated or stressful, just something warm, flavourful, and a little bit different from the usual. These fit that brief perfectly. Everything came together easily using ingredients I already had on hand, which is usually a sign that a recipe is meant to happen.
Date Number Three and the Great Glutening
The stuffed tomatoes ended up on the table alongside Chicken Romano, and together they made a really lovely, balanced meal. The tomatoes are rich and savoury, with that soft sweetness that only develops once they’ve been baked properly, and they pair beautifully with something simple and protein-based on the side. It felt like one of those dinners that looks impressive without actually requiring a huge amount of effort, which is exactly the kind of energy I was going for.
Cooking for someone new can feel like a bit of a balancing act. You want to make something nice, something that shows you’ve put in effort, but you also don’t want to disappear into the kitchen for hours or stress yourself out trying to get everything perfect. This kind of dish sits right in that sweet spot. It’s thoughtful without being fussy, and it lets you actually enjoy the evening instead of worrying about every little detail.
One thing that has made dating a bit easier this time around is that we’re both coeliac. There’s no awkward explanation about cross-contamination, no need to double-check every ingredient out loud, and no slightly uncomfortable moment where you’re trying to explain why crumbs are suddenly a problem. It’s just understood, which is genuinely refreshing and takes a surprising amount of pressure off.
That said, we somehow still managed to both get glutened on our second date, which feels almost impressive in its own way. We went somewhere I’d always trusted, somewhere I’d eaten before without any issues, and within about half an hour I knew something wasn’t right. If you’re coeliac, you know that feeling instantly. It’s frustrating, uncomfortable, and honestly a bit disappointing, especially when you thought you were safe.
We had gone to see Disclosure Day afterwards, and while I wasn’t feeling great, the film itself was honestly the bigger challenge. It’s rare that something manages to distract you from being glutened, but that one came very close. By the end of it, I wasn’t entirely sure which experience had been worse.
Will there be a Date Number Four? Alas no, and back to Bumble we go…
Comfort Food, Old Favourites, and What Comes Next
Experiences like that tend to push me straight back towards cooking at home, where I know exactly what’s going into everything and don’t have to second-guess a single ingredient. And dishes like these stuffed tomatoes are exactly why I enjoy it so much. They’re simple, reliable, and genuinely satisfying in a way that doesn’t require anything complicated or overly technical.
When you cut into them, you get that soft, roasted tomato wrapped around a rich, savoury filling, and it just works. The texture is comforting without being heavy, and the flavour is deep without feeling overwhelming. It’s the kind of dish that feels like you’ve taken a bit of care with it, even though the process itself is very straightforward. That balance is something I always come back to.
I think that’s what I love most about this style of cooking in general. A few good ingredients, treated properly, coming together into something that feels generous and complete. Tomatoes, rice, parmesan, herbs, olive oil. Nothing complicated, nothing unnecessary, just good food done well. It’s the kind of cooking that doesn’t try too hard, but still delivers something really satisfying.
These stuffed tomatoes are definitely back in regular rotation for me now. They’re easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, but still nice enough to serve when you have someone over and want to make a bit of an impression. My Chicken Romano recipe was posted several years ago – I highly recommend have a quick squiz!
And if you want to round it out into a full meal, I’d always suggest adding my Simple Rocket and Parmesan Salad on the side. It’s fresh, sharp, and balances everything beautifully. Honestly, it goes with almost everything I make, and this is no exception.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different rice? Arborio is the right choice here because it’s being par-cooked as a risotto before going into the tomatoes, and its high starch content gives the filling a cohesive, creamy texture that long-grain rice won’t produce. A different short-grain rice could work in a pinch but arborio is what gives the filling its character.
What do I do with the tomato innards? Don’t throw them away. Roughly chop them and toss with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, salt, and pepper for a quick no-cook pasta sauce. Stir through hot pasta with a splash of pasta water and a handful of Parmesan and dinner is sorted with almost no extra effort.
Why do I need to par-cook the rice before stuffing? The tomato doesn’t provide enough moisture or cooking time for raw rice to cook through properly from the inside. Par-cooking the rice on the stovetop until just tender means it finishes perfectly in the oven during the bake without the tomatoes having to overcook and collapse while they wait for the rice to catch up.
Ingredient breakdown
Large tomatoes
Firm, large tomatoes that will hold their shape during a thirty-minute bake rather than collapsing on the tray. Beefsteak tomatoes are ideal because they have the structure to act as a vessel and enough flavour to contribute to the finished dish. A light spray of olive oil over the skin before baking helps it blister and caramelise beautifully.
Butter
The fat the onion and garlic cook in at the start of the filling. A small amount gives the risotto base a richness that olive oil alone doesn’t quite deliver and builds the flavour foundation before the wine and stock go in.
Brown onion and garlic
The aromatic base of the filling, cooked until properly soft before anything else goes in. The onion needs a full five minutes over medium heat to become sweet and translucent, then the garlic follows for another minute or two until fragrant. Don’t rush this stage.
Dry white wine
Added after the onion and garlic and reduced down before the rice goes in, adding a subtle acidity and complexity to the filling that chicken stock alone doesn’t provide. The five-minute simmer cooks off the alcohol so you’re left with just the flavour.
Arborio rice
Par-cooked on the stovetop using the same gradual stock-addition method as a risotto, until just tender before the tomatoes see the oven. Pull it off the heat while it still has a slight bite because it will finish cooking inside the tomato during the bake. The high starch content of arborio gives the filling a cohesive, slightly creamy texture that holds its shape when spooned in.
Hot chicken stock
Added a ladleful at a time, stirred as the rice absorbs each addition. Keep it hot so the temperature of the rice doesn’t drop between additions and the cooking process stays consistent throughout.
Roasted red peppers
From a jar, drained well and chopped finely before going into the filling. Drain them thoroughly because excess liquid from the jar will make the filling watery. They add sweetness and a gentle smokiness that balances the briny olives and salty Parmesan.
Kalamata olives
Chopped finely so the flavour distributes evenly through every spoonful of filling rather than coming in occasional chunks. They add a deep, briny punch that works beautifully against the creamy risotto base.
Parmesan
Finely grated and stirred through the filling off the heat, which melts it smoothly into the rice and adds a salty, savoury depth that ties everything together. Grate it yourself for the best result.
Bocconcini
Torn or diced and placed over the top of each stuffed tomato so it sits like a little lid before the tray goes into the oven. Torn pieces melt more evenly than whole balls and create that gorgeous golden, bubbling topping that makes the finished dish look as good as it tastes.
Fresh parsley
Scattered over the top just before serving for a pop of colour and a fresh herbal note that lifts the richness of the filling and the melted cheese. Finely chopped so it distributes evenly across all four tomatoes.
Salt, black pepper, and olive oil spray
The salt and pepper season the filling after the Parmesan goes in, tasted and adjusted carefully because the olives and Parmesan both bring saltiness. The olive oil spray goes over the stuffed tomatoes before baking and helps the skin blister and the bocconcini develop colour in the oven.
