Vegetable Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are the kind of dish that turns a vegetable into the centerpiece. Big ripe beefsteaks get hollowed out and packed with a finely minced mix of spinach, carrots, celery, onion, and bell pepper bound with breadcrumbs and a touch of egg, then baked just until the shells soften and the filling sets golden under Parmesan.

Salting and draining the hollowed shells is the step nobody wants to do and everyone should. Inverting them on a rack for 15 minutes pulls out excess water that would otherwise weep into the filling and turn it into vegetable soup. Don’t skip it.

The food-processor pulse for the filling vegetables is the move. You want everything chopped fine enough to bind into a cohesive stuffing without turning to mush. Pulse, don’t puree, until pieces are about the size of corn kernels.

Whole-wheat breadcrumbs (rather than white) add nuttiness that plays well against the sweet roasted tomato and the salty Parmesan finish. Make them fresh from stale bread if you can; commercial breadcrumbs taste sandy by comparison.

Pro Tips

• Choose tomatoes that sit flat on the bottom. Wobbly tomatoes tip over in the oven and spill their filling.
• Don’t over-bake. Twenty minutes is right; longer and the tomato walls collapse into the dish.
• Reserve the scooped-out tomato pulp and stir a few tablespoons back into the filling for extra moisture and flavor.
• These taste even better at room temperature the next day, when flavors have mingled.

Variations

• Stir in cooked rice or quinoa with the breadcrumbs for a heartier, more meal-worthy version.
• Add crumbled feta or goat cheese to the filling for a tangy lift.
• Sprinkle pine nuts on top with the Parmesan for crunch and southern Italian character.