Pomodori al Riso alla Romana (Rice-stuffed Tomatoes)

A classic Italian dish perfect for celebrating Ferragosto

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on 15 August in all of Italy. It is also when Catholics celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. The name originates from Feriae Augusti, the festival of emperor Augustus, who, in the 1st Century A.D., made the 1st of August a day of rest after weeks of hard work in the agricultural sector. Ferragosto always marked the end of the harvest season in which family and friends would gather to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Traditionally, Italians have taken the summer day to break from the heat and flee the city for some R&R, flocking to the beach or to the mountains.

Throughout the country, one will find religious processions, horse races (the annual Palio of Siena (Palio dell’Assunta) on August 16th), beach games, and concerts. The typical “Pranzo di Ferragosto” is a tribute to summer and, like Italian cooking generally, the dishes are fresh and simple, such as carpaccio, seafood, fresh produce, and small plates of cured meats and cheese, as well as barbecue (grigliata), refreshing watermelon, or cocomero, in Italian for dessert, and of course, no self-respecting Italian meal would be complete without wine (sometimes served chilled with peaches). Outdoor meals (al fuori) such as bonfires and picnics, with people sitting by the sea or lakeside watching fireworks, are very common.

In the Tuscany region, you will likely find Panzanella, a rustic salad consisting of large chunks of crusty stale bread, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, onion, and basil. Roast squab is also a typical Ferragosto Tuscan food. In Rome, one can expect Pomodori al Riso, arborio rice stuffed with tomatoes with fresh herbs, or find lasagna or pasta al forno (oven-baked pasta), or Pollo ai Peperoni, slow-cooked chicken with sweet peppers, which tastes even better the next day. In Napoli, you’ll likely see many palatella panini stuffed with ‘mpupata, consisting of pickled eggplant and salted anchovies from Cetara. In the Puglia region, one can expect to see galluccio served, a grass-fed cockerel, which is stuffed and baked, a specialty once relished by less affluent families who could afford to eat meat only on holidays. Sicilians celebrate Ferragosto with Gelu di Muluna, a chilled watermelon pudding that often contains chocolate chips to imitate the seeds.

As provincial as Italy is, one thing is for sure, Italians as a whole sure know how to enjoy life and engage in the true celebration of summer.

Buon Ferragosto!

Pomodori al Riso alla Romana (Rice-stuffed tomatoes)

Serves 6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 large firm tomatoes, washed
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup of Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup of chopped Italian parsley
• 2/3 cup of passata
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Carefully slice off the tomato tops and set them to the side.

2. With a sharp paring knife, slice around the perimeter of each tomato, leaving about 1/2” clearance along the edge and being careful not to pierce through the bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the juice, seeds, and pulp of the tomatoes into a bowl.

3. In a blender, blend the tomato pulp, garlic, passata, salt, and pepper until smooth.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the risotto and stir, coating it completely.

5. Add in the tomato mixture from the blender, making sure the rice is fully covered. Give it all a good mix and reduce the heat and cover the rice for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350oF. You’re aiming for less than al dente risotto, not overcooked, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

6. After 10 minutes, check the rice. If liquid is needed, add some water. Put the lid back on and let the rice finish cooking for 5 minutes more maximum over low heat while stirring occasionally.

7. Turn off the heat and add parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and pepper, if needed, to taste. Once fully mixed, set aside, uncovered.

8. Brush the tomatoes and caps with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

9. Fill the tomatoes with the risotto mixture, making sure not to overfill so you can place the tops of the tomatoes back on comfortably when you serve them.

10. In an oven-safe dish coated with extra virgin olive oil, place the tomatoes on each of the caps face down like a platform and bake for about 20 minutes, uncovered, checking to make sure they do not burn or topple over.

You may serve immediately, at room temperature, or even cold the next day with oven-roasted potatoes or a side salad.