It doesn’t get more summery than my Roman Stuffed Tomatoes! These tomatoes are stuffed with a delicious blend of herbs and rice and baked with potatoes until tender. These tomatoes are meant to be served at room temperature, or even cold, making them a great make-ahead option for any summer gathering.
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A dish best served cold
Roman stuffed tomatoes, or pomodori ripieni al riso, are baked in the oven, but despite this dish’s hot beginning, it’s usually served cold, or at room temperature, and enjoyed during the summer months when tomatoes are at peak ripeness. The idea was to make them in the cooler hours of the morning when using the oven wouldn’t overheat your house, then to allow them to cool and enjoy them for lunch or dinner.
My grandma would often make a similar version of stuffed tomatoes, though she would include Pecorino Romano. My recipe below does not include cheese, making this dairy-free and vegan.
Roman stuffed tomatoes can be served as a side to your favorite summer food, such as grilled chicken thighs, lemon garlic grilled lamb chops, or grilled pork chops.
But the combination of the rice, potatoes, and tomatoes make for a truly delicious meal that can be enjoyed as a lighter main course.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Tomatoes. Large tomatoes, such as Beefsteak, are great for stuffed tomatoes, but any large tomato will work well. The most important thing is to use the ripest tomatoes you can find. And be sure not to discard the tops of the tomatoes as they’re an important part of the recipe!
- Potatoes. Any potatoes will do, though I prefer to use waxier potatoes like Yukon golds.
- Rice. Arborio rice is recommended for my recipe. The rule of thumb I give is to use 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice per tomato, though if your tomatoes are very large like mine were, you may need a little more like I did. Be sure to soak the rice as I do in my recipe below.
- Herbs. I’m using fresh basil and parsley as well as dried oregano. Fresh oregano or fresh mint would also work nicely with these stuffed tomatoes.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make Roman-Style Stuffed Tomatoes
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Remove the pulp and seeds from the tomatoes.
- Add all the tomato pulp and juice to a bowl and puree.
- Add the passata, rice, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper to a bowl and mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the rice mixture to sit for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the potato wedges in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Place the hollowed-out tomatoes on top of the potatoes and spoon the mixture inside, leaving a 1/4-inch of space at the top.
- Top with the tomato tops and brush with olive oil. Add any remaining rice mixture to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the cover and bake for another 25-50 minutes or until the rice is tender and the tomatoes are soft. Serve at room temperature or chilled. You can also serve warm if desired.
Top tips
- Tomatoes. Roman stuffed tomatoes is a true summer dish meaning it’s meant to be made when tomatoes are ripe. The riper the tomatoes, the better it will taste, and the less time it will take to cook. The cooking time will vary based on the ripeness and size of the tomatoes.
- Soak the rice. Be sure to soak the rice in the tomato mixture for the best possible results. Not only will doing so infuse the rice with the flavor, it will allow it to soften and take less time to cook.
- Additions. While my recipe for Roman stuffed tomatoes is vegan, you can certainly add other ingredients to them, such as canned yellowfin tuna (olive oil-packed) and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Capers and olives would also make great additions!
More summer vegetable recipes
If you’re looking for more ways to use up your summer produce, give these recipes a try!
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Roman Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 large Beefsteak tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup (200g) Arborio rice
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup (60g) passata
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 1/2 pounds (1.1kg) Yukon Gold potatoes cut into small wedges
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Instructions
- Cut off and save the top 1/3 of the tomatoes. With a paring knife and spoon and core out the pulp and seeds being careful not to cut through the tomato. Place all of the juice and pulp into a bowl. Discard any hard bits of the pulp then blend or puree with an immersion or regular blender. Add the pureed tomato, rice, passata, garlic, parsley, basil, 2 teaspoons of oregano, and the crushed red pepper to a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the rice sit for at least 1 hour to soak and absorb the juices.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- Place the potato wedges into a 9×13" baking dish and drizzle a 1/4 cup of the olive oil onto them. Season with salt and pepper and the remaining 2 teaspoons of oregano.
- Place the hollowed out tomatoes on top of the potatoes and season the insides with salt. Spoon the rice mixture into each tomato, leaving at least a 1/4" of space at the top. Place the saved tomato tops on top of each tomato and drizzle or brush the remaining olive onto the outsides and tops of the tomatoes. Any remaining rice mixture can be drizzled onto the tomatoes or placed at the bottom of the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour then remove the cover and bake for another 25-50 minutes or until the rice is tender and the tomatoes are soft but not falling apart.
- This dish is best served at room temperature or cold but can be eaten right away too. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cooking time. The size of the tomatoes and how ripe they are can substantially alter the cooking time. After the 1st hour of baking, continue to cook uncovered until the rice is tender and the tomatoes are starting to shrivel (anywhere from 25-50 more minutes).
- Fresh tomatoes. Use the ripest and freshest tomatoes you can find. Any large tomato can be used.
- Soaking the rice. Soaking the rice does two things. It hydrates the rice which will speed up the cooking time but more importantly the garlic and tomato flavor will be better absorbed into the rice. Soaking overnight will make better stuffed tomatoes.
- Rice ratio. Typically 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice per tomato is the optimal amount but for very large beefsteak tomatoes 2.5-3 tablespoons is recommended.
- Extra filling. Leftover filling can be poured onto the potatoes or put onto the bottom of the baking dish. The rice will become crispy and is delicious.
- Leftovers. Roman stuffed tomatoes can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and are better eaten cold the next day than hot or warm right out of the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on October 22, 2018. It was completely updated on June 7, 2025.
This recipe looks great. Store bought tomatoes are flavorless and fresh tomatoes are a ways out. How long would you bake it using bell peppers? Maybe a bread crumb topping would work better than a pepper top.
Hi Ken, you could use a similar method to the one we use for this recipe: https://www.sipandfeast.com/stuffed-italian-peppers/
I think I would stuff some bell peppers with any left over filling. The recipe sounds great.
Hope you enjoy!
Rice is uncooked when mixed with passata?
Hi Teresa, yes, the rice is soaked in the mixture for at least an hour prior to baking to soften it up.
Hi James. I lived in Turkiye many years and they have a receipe very similar to your summer stuffed tomatoes. However when I use one of your receipes I never vary. I know all receipes have many different variations but I’ve learned not to mess with yours and then you cannot go wrong. When I want to cook a certain meat or vegetable dish I go directly to you web site and I always find a receipe that fits the bill. I really like the dishes you choose and I especially like the ease with which you put the dish together. I entertain through cooking often and your receipe collection just takes all the stress out of wondering what to cook and will my guests like it. Never had a dinner guest not rave about the food. Keep them coming. I envy your official taster.
We couldn’t be happier to hear that, Orland! Thanks for the great comment!
What is Passata?
Hi Marilyn, passata is pureed tomatoes and typically sold in a jar near the canned tomatoes in the grocery store.
1 cup of salt? Please fix recipe
Hi Natalie, no where in the recipe does it say 1 cup of salt. It calls for “salt and pepper to taste”. If you’re seeing 1 cup of salt somewhere, please let me know where you are seeing that.
Hey James Love all your recipes.
I tried this one and my wife & I loved it but tought the tomatoes got a little too acidic.
What can I use to make less tart? Someone told me to use a pinch of Baking Soda.
Does that really work?
Hi Joe, you can try a pinch of baking soda and see if that will work but it usually comes down to the tomatoes you’re using and whether they’re on the sweet side or the more acidic side.
Haven’t tried your version yet James, but my BIL who is from San Marino has a similar recipe. They use slightly ripened tomatoes grilled cut side down first, then flipped and stuffed with a similar stuffing and finished on the grill. No wine or water, but enough olive oil to give the stuffing the right consistency. They make for a really great side dish to barbecued steaks or other grilled meats.
Hi Michael, thanks for the comment and for sharing your version of the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Where would I find Ricotta Salata, I’ve never seen it before.
Hi Claire, many Italian grocery stores and Whole Foods will carry it. You can ask the cheesemonger at the store.
I haven’t tried them yet but Inwill one day because I love all your recipes , thank you Anne smetona
Thanks for the comment, Anne!
I used shredded mozzarella and parmesan (what I had), plus panko and 8 oz of ground beef to the stuffing for 4 medium tomatoes. Per your suggestion, since I had extra stuffing, added to the baking pans (2 All-Clad small nonstick appetizer pans I have had for years) fits 2 tomatoes comfortably. Was delicious, but will try again with the ingredients you suggest.
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment and happy you enjoyed it!
My friends in Belgium make a stuffed tomato with tiny shrimp in a mayo/marie rose type sauce with a few breadcrumbs on top …delicious.
Thank you for your great series of videos.
I live in Tennessee but lived in New Hyde Park and Stewart Manor for 40 years. It’s nice to hear Iavarone and Umbertos get a shout out. Thank you also for providing options…as you well know, when you leave the tri state area good Italian ingredients are hard to find. Keep up the good work!
Hey Cameron. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes and videos. I know it’s tough to find many of these ingredients that tri-state people take for granted. Thanks for acknowledging that I try to accommodate people in other states.