Stuffed tomatoes appear in the family account of Audrey’s cooking, connecting the polished public figure to ordinary seasonal ingredients. With rice, herbs, and a little Parmesan, even the most modest ingredients can undergo a remarkable transformation. The ribboned straw hat in the photograph offers a gentle tribute to Eliza Doolittle’s transformation in My Fair Lady.

Recipe Information

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: Economical
• Region/Ethnic Origin: Mediterranean

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Slice the tops off tomatoes and scoop out pulp, reserving it. Set tomato shells in a lightly oiled baking dish.
2. Chop reserved pulp. Cook onion in olive oil for 4 minutes; add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in chopped tomato pulp and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix with rice, cheese, herbs, salt, and pepper.
4. Fill tomato shells loosely. Add water to the baking dish and cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake for 25 minutes; uncover and bake about 10 minutes more, until the tomatoes are tender and the cooked-rice filling reaches 165°F in the center. If needed, continue baking until the filling reaches that temperature.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a green salad and warm bread for lunch, or alongside roast chicken as a colorful side dish.

Explore the complete Audrey Hepburn recipe collection.