These parsley and cheese stuffed tomatoes make a perfect side dish. Huge flavor and only a few ingredients in this easy Italian recipe. #sidedish #stuffedtomatoes #italian #ricotta #garlicky (2024)

Stuffed tomatoes are a perfect side dish for really any meal. They are super easy to put together and can be made ahead of time! These tomatoes are stuffed with ricotta salata, parsley and breadcrumbs to make a light and delicious Italian appetizer or side dish.

I love these Italian stuffed tomatoes with a steak or a roast.

They also go well on top of roasted potatoes. Both could be made at the same time for a perfect side dish.

Ingredients For Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

It’s all about simple ingredients in this recipe.

Get some real fresh and juicy tomatoes. I used big beefsteak tomatoes, though any fresh tomato would work.

I like the bigger ones because it’s less work than stuffing 30 cherry tomatoes, but buy and use what you like!

2 bunches of parsley will be needed, 5 cloves of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian breadcrumbs and cheese.

The cheese I used isricotta salata. It is super flavorful. It compares nicely to feta cheese but it’s not as salty and briny.

If you cannot find ricotta salata, feta would be a good substitute.

The other cheese that finishes off these easy stuffed tomatoes is pecorino romano. Pecorino is my favorite cheese and I usually opt for it overparmigiano-reggiano but both are great.

The final ingredient and it’s totally optional is 1 cup of dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

The cup of wine and 1 cup of water help keep the tomatoes moist while baking and combine to create a great sauce with some of the stuffing mixed in.

Don’t fret over the wine. This dish can be made with great results either way. I like to provide the option in advance.

How To Stuff Tomatoes:

1. Italian Breadcrumbs, lots of parsley, block of ricotta salata, and 5 large tomatoes.
2. Grate 1 cup of ricotta salata.
3. Chop 1 cup of parsley.
4. Mince and begin sauteing garlic in a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil for 2-3 minutes on medium-low.

5. Add the cup of bread crumbs to the pan with the garlic and mix to incorporate. Turn off heat and set aside.
6. Cut off the tomato tops.
7. Cut around the top of the tomatoes’ sides and gently scoop out pulp and seeds. Save and chop the pulp up coarsely.
8. Add the tomato pulp into a bowl with the grated ricotta salata and parsley.

9. Add all the contents of the bowl into the pan along with the crushed red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly.
10. Season the Tomato cavities with a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
11. Stuff all the tomatoes and leave any remaining stuffing in the bottom of pan. Pour the wine and water into the pan and bake in oven for 30 minutes covered with foil.
12. After 30 minutes remove foil and check that the tomatoes are nice and soft. If they are still a little hard continue baking for 5-10 more minutes. Finally broil the tomatoes for 3-5 minutes to crisp them up.

After broiling the stuffed tomatoes, add a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a nice sprinkle of the pecorino romano all over them.

Serve the tomatoes with more cheese and if you like mix some cheese into the wine and water mixture and spoon it all over the tomatoes.

What To Serve With Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

• Italian Sausage Pasta
• Italian Chicken
• Beef Braciole
• Baked Chicken Legs
• Mushroom Brandy Cream Sauce Pasta

What Else Can You Stuff Tomatoes With?

Ground beef stuffed tomatoes are awesome. They are a lot more filling than this recipe and two of them would make a whole meal.

Risotto stuffed tomatoes are great as are tomatoes stuffed with Italian sausage.

I’ve stuffed them with so many different ingredients. Zucchini, caponata, tuna. Just use your imagination!

Substitutions

If you can’t find ricotta salata use feta like stated previously, or use something like provolone.

If you don’t like parsley use basil or if you want a more dense filling, double the breadcrumbs.

No hard rules on this one.

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