One of my favorite stuffed tomatoes recipes, these grilled ricotta basil tomatoes offer great flavor in a satisfying little package. The ricotta filling is seasoned with savory herbs including basil, parsley and marjoram, with a dash of fresh chopped garlic for good measure!
Grilled until the filling sets and becomes firm, these grilled tomatoes make an impressive, colorful side dish. For a light meal they can be the main course. For informal gatherings, these can be made using smaller tomatoes and served as appetizers.
When served as a side or main course, use round tomatoes, two to three inches in diameter. You’ll often see these sold in clusters, with the stem still attached. For appetizers, Roma tomatoes work nicely.
Ricotta Stuffed Tomato Recipe
- 6 round tomatoes (8 to 10 Roma tomatoes if serving appetizers)
- One pound of ricotta cheese
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon of chopped marjoram
- 1 tablespoon of chopped basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 16-20 small, whole basil leaves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preheat your grill to medium.
Combine the ricotta cheese, whole egg, parsley, marjoram, chopped basil and garlic, mixing well. Rinse the tomatoes and cut into halves. Scoop out the seedy pulp, leaving the outer flesh and skin of the tomatoes intact.
Coat the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scoop a tablespoon or so of the ricotta filling into each tomato half.
Grill for five to ten minutes over medium direct heat, until the filling has firmed up and you see some bubbling around the tomato edges. Insert one of the whole basil leaves into the filling of each of the ricotta basil tomatoes and serve immediately.
And don’t forget to provide plenty of napkins if they’re served as appetizers. They do tend to drip!