The very first time I had stuffed tomatoes was during a beach in Santorini and I immediately fell in love with them, so when my dad told me he was going to try a stuffed tomatoes recipe I was more than happy. He has now made this recipe on multiple occasions and it has earned a constant spot on our family dinner menu.
Check out the recipe below and over on my IGTV, enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Fennel Bulb (discard stalks, bulb halved & cored, and chopped fine)
- 1 Shallot (chopped fine)
- 1 Zucchini cut lengthwise in 4 pieces then chopped in ¼ inch pieces.
- 2 Garlic Cloves (pressed)
- ⅓ cup Couscous
- ½ cup Vegetable Broth
- ½ cup of Parmesan (grated)
- 2 ounces of Goat Cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Basil
DIRECTIONS
Start off by slicing the top ⅛ inch off each tomato, then remove the core and seeds (use a spoon to do this). Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt. Place tomatoes upside down on several layers of paper towels and set aside to let drain for 30 minutes. Next, set your oven to 375 degrees before beginning to prep the rest of the ingredients.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in the chopped fennel and shallot and cook until softened and lightly browned, around ten to twelve minutes. Next, stir in the zucchini and cook until tender, about five minutes. Follow this by stirring in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds, and then the couscous. Let the couscous cook until lightly toasted, about two minutes. Continue by stirring in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Frequently stir and check the couscous for around five minutes, and check for doneness. If the couscous is not to your liking, then add in a bit more broth and continue cooking the couscous until done. Finally, stir in the parmesan, goat cheese, and basil, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Mix everything together.
Lastly, turn over your cored tomatoes and stuff each with the couscous mixture (Pro Tip; I stuff mine over the top. The goal is to get as much of the mixture into the tomato as you can). Take your stuffed tomatoes and place them in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil, or parchment paper, and bake for fifteen to seventeen minutes. Bon appetit.
