Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
4 medium size tomatoes, ripe but not too soft
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half horizontally. Scoop out the insides. Place the tomato halves upside down on a paper towel for 5 minutes to drain excess juices. Flip and sprinkle the inside with a little salt. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, grated parmesan, a little freshly ground pepper, garlic, olive oil, and dried basil together. Fill each tomato half with the mixture and place on a baking sheet.
Bake 15 to 25 minutes over until filling is warm and top is golden. Don’t overcook them or the tomatoes will get mushy. You can broil for a minute at the end to get the tops golden. Top each with a little fresh basil before serving.
