Pomodori Farciti all’Erbette
Makes 6 to 8 servings
½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley ½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion ¼ cup finely chopped fresh sorrel (or substitute arugula or spinach with a squeeze of lemon) 4 ounces prosciutto 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint Salt Freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces Provatura cheese (or fresh mozzarella) 3 large egg yolks 6 to 8 medium fresh tomatoes 2 or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Ham broth or crusty bread, if desired, for serving 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the parsley, onion, sorrel, and mint together in a medium bowl. Tear the prosciutto into small pieces, then mix into the herbs and add salt and pepper to taste. Grate the cheese into the mixture, then add the egg yolks and mix together to form a paste.
3. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the inside with a spoon, discarding the tops and insides of the tomatoes. Stuff the hollow tomatoes with the herb mixture until full but not packed too tightly. The filling should be flush with the top of the tomato.
4. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of an oven-save frying pan and set over medium heat. Pan-fry the tomatoes, bottom down, for 2 to 3 minutes, then use tongs to quickly flip them over and to prevent the filling from falling out. Pan-fry top down for 2 to 3 minutes. Then place the frying pan into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and serve hot. The original recipe says these can be served with a ham broth, but they also can be served with a bit of crusty Italian bread, if desired.
Cook’s note: The quantities of the herbs and onion can be modified to suit your preference.
