Tomates à la Provençale
Is there anything better than a perfect summer tomato? Tomates à la Provençale celebrates the juicy, sweet perfection of this crimson fruit. Whether you’re looking for a light entree or elegant side, this dish will become a favorite.
I love having options for Meatless Monday, such as my Sheet Pan Tortellini alla Norma. Especially during the summer when so many produce are at their peak season, it’s easy to incorporate more vegetables into meals. This dish comes together with just a handful of ingredients that perfectly highlight the amazing tomato.
Ingredients
Tomates à la Provençale is an easy dish to make for just a couple of people, or double and triple the recipe and make a lot. It’s not only easy, it’s also economical.
- Tomatoes – Pick ripe, but not overly ripe tomatoes for this as they will soften as they roast. Also pick tomatoes that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Shallot – These add a mild, delicate onion flavor to the stuffing of the tomatoes.
- Parsley – This brings an herbaceous, grassy freshness to the filling for the stuffed tomatoes.
- Garlic – This brings a savory note to every bite of the stuffing.
- Parmesan Cheese – Both nutty and salty, this gives both body and flavor to the filling.
- Olive Oil – This will add moisture to the filling as well as help the top get that crispy gorgeous golden brown color.
- Pork Panko – Bacon’s Heir Pork Panko is made with just two ingredients, pork skin and salt. This is an even one to one swap for traditional breadcrumbs that packs extra savory flavor. It also has a higher heat tolerance that also makes it perfect for grilling.
How to Make Tomates à la Provençale
Not only does this dish only require a handful of fresh ingredients, it also comes together in less than 30 minutes. The tomatoes roast at a high temperature making this a quick cooking dish for any night of the week.
Time needed: 20 minutes
Get out your favorite cast iron skillet and preheat the oven. This is going to become a new favorite way to celebrate the tomato.
- Prep
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your tomatoes in half and remove their seeds. Place the tomatoes cut side down on a paper towel lined plate to allow some of their juices to drain.
- Stuff It
Add your shallots, garlic, and parsley to a food processor and pulse it until it’s finely chopped. Add the parsley mixture to a bowl and mix with the panko, parmesan, and olive oil. Spoon into the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in an oven safe baking dish or cast iron skillet.
- Bake It
Bake the tomatoes for 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the tomatoes slightly slumped. Enjoy!
Variations
This is a versatile recipe that you can easily adapt to both your personal taste and also dietary needs.
- Vegetarian – The Pork Panko in this recipe can easily be replaced with regular panko bread crumbs.
- Spicy – For a little kiss of spice, try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to this recipe.
- Dairy Free – The parmesan in this recipe can be replaced with either Dairy Free parmesan, or left out.
Equipment
This fresh and bright dish only requires a couple of pieces of equipment, making it both budget friendly and also easy to make.
- Food Processor – This makes breaking down the parsley, shallots, and garlic easy as well as gives you a uniform texture.
- Oven Safe Baking Dish or Cast Iron Skillet – These Tomates à la Provençale roast at a high temperature so pick a vessel that can take the heat and will accommodate all of your tomatoes without over crowding them.
Storage
Leftovers, if there are any, make for a fun and tasty lunch the next day. Always store your leftover tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Top Tip for Tomates à la Provençale
Tomatoes naturally have a lot of water content in them. To help dry them out a little before stuffing them, allow them to rest cut side down on a paper towel lined plate. This will allow some of the moisture to drain.
Tomates à la Provençale
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 oven safe baking dish or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 3-4 tomatoes
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup Pork Panko
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 40 degrees.
- Cut your tomatoes in half. Use a spoon to remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes cut side down onto a paper towel lined plate and allow the excess juices to drain.
- Add your parsley, garlic, and shallot to a food processor and pulse until a fine texture.
- Add the parsley mixture to a bowl along with the panko, parmesan, and olive oil. Mix to combine.
- Add the filling to the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes into an oven safe baking dish.
- Bake the tomatoes for 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the tomatoes are slightly slumped.
Gosh, I haven’t baked tomatoes for years. I used to make them as an extra side dish for company in the summer. Something other than a tomato salad. this is a great recipe, reminds me of a Patricia Wells recipe. I was going to tell you that there’s no such word as Provençale but I fortunately looked it up! I’ve never seen it with an “e” at the end. Live and learn!!!
It’s very simple and delicious. Thank you for your comment!