Stuffed Tomatoes with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Published 9:00 am Thursday, June 19, 2014

By Staff Reports

4 large or 6 medium ripe, but firm tomatoes

1 pound ground beef, ground pork or breakfast sausage

1 medium onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (add other seasonings to taste if not using sausage)

1/2 cup bread crumbs or cracker crumbs (plus extra for topping)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping)

Infused olive oil

Infused olive oil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fresh basil leaves

Make the infused oil by heating 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small pot on very low heat. Smash two cloves of garlic and add to the oil. Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and several leaves of fresh basil. When the garlic and basil start to sizzle, turn off the heat and let it infuse.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off of each tomato. Run a serrated knife along the inside edges to loosen the pulp. Scoop out the pulp from each tomato and reserve it in a bowl. Try to save as much juice as possible for the sauce. Lightly salt the insides of the tomatoes and invert them on a plate to drain. Dice the tomato pulp and set aside.

Brown the meat in a skillet. If it is very lean, add a little olive oil to the pan. Add the diced onions and cook until tender. Add 1/2 cup of the diced tomato pulp and cook for a few more minutes. Add chopped basil and turn off the heat. Add the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and stir. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.

Stuff the tomatoes and put them in a baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle a little of the infused oil over the tops. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tops of the tomatoes are browned.

While the tomatoes are baking, make the tomato sauce. In a sauce pan, add two tablespoons of the infused oil. Heat on medium high heat. Add the tomato pulp and juices. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer while the tomatoes bake, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Add some of the smashed garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes from the oil to the simmering sauce. Serve with the stuffed tomatoes. Add a drizzle of the infused oil just before serving.

Note: The fresh tomato sauce is also delicious tossed with cooked pasta or as a dipping sauce for fried eggplant or zucchini.

Judy Lapeyrouse, Jeanerette