Baked Orzo-Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs and Parmesan

Easy, delicious baked stuffed tomatoes filled with creamy orzo, sautéed mushrooms and melting mozzarella. These pasta-stuffed tomatoes are perfect served hot with a salad or cooled for a portable lunch the next day. Below you’ll also find a simple method for cooking orzo like a risotto.

I love stuffed vegetables, and tomatoes are one of my favourites. When baked they become sweet, sticky and intensely flavoured. Stuffing them turns them into a satisfying meal, and by varying the filling you can enjoy them through all of tomato season.

Stuffed Tomatoes – What’s Inside?

These tomatoes are filled with creamy orzo cooked with mushrooms and onions, then layered with chunks of mozzarella for gooey texture. Orzo looks like rice but it’s actually a small pasta, which makes it ideal for soups, stews and vegetable fillings.

Instead of boiling the orzo in plenty of water, I cook it like a risotto, adding warm stock a little at a time. You can use vegetable stock, but chicken stock gives a richer flavour for this recipe.

If you like, double the orzo portion (omit the tomatoes) and you have a tasty standalone dish.

Other Filling Ideas

Try these variations to use up summer tomatoes:

• Meaty ragu topped with a spoonful of béchamel and mozzarella
• Leftover risotto or a small fresh batch made for stuffing
• A lentil ragu for a meat-free option
• Mixed roasted vegetables with mozzarella: aubergine, zucchini, onions or peppers work well

How to Make Baked Stuffed Tomatoes – Step by Step

Wash and dry the tomatoes, then use a large knife to cut off the tops. Try not to damage the tops as they act as lids for baking.

With the side of a spoon free the core from the skin, then scoop the flesh, juice and seeds into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate the pulp if you plan to use it for sauce (instructions below).

Sprinkle the hollowed tomatoes with salt and place them top-side down on a plate to drain while you make the filling.

To prepare the orzo filling, finely chop the onion and sauté in a little olive oil until soft and translucent. Add sliced mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms have reduced in size and softened.

Add the orzo and stir so each grain is coated with the mushroom and onion mixture. Pour in about a quarter of the warmed chicken stock and stir as you would for risotto until the liquid has mostly absorbed. Continue adding stock in quarters, stirring and letting it absorb between additions, until the orzo is tender.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the orzo needs more time, add a splash more stock. When the pasta is cooked, stir in grated Parmesan until the mixture becomes creamy.

To assemble, spoon orzo into each tomato until about half full, then add a few cubes or slices of mozzarella. Add more orzo, allowing a small mound if needed, and top with the remaining mozzarella. Place the tomato lids back on and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the cheese is melted.

How to Use the Leftover Tomato Juice

Don’t discard the pulp and juice removed from the tomatoes — it makes a lovely pasta sauce. Here’s a quick method:

1. Blend the tomato pulp briefly until smooth.
2. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds (they can add bitterness).
3. Sauté minced garlic with four salted anchovy fillets until the anchovies break down and garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the strained tomato juice, season with pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavour. Add salt if needed.
5. Tear in fresh basil at the end.
6. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

More Tomato Recipes You Might Like

• Tomato pasta bake (pasta al forno)
• Authentic Italian tomato sauce
• Sautéed tomato breakfast crostini with poached eggs
• Pasta Amatriciana with bucatini and guanciale
• One-pot chicken with olives, tomatoes and lentils

If you try these Baked Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes, I’d love to hear how they turn out in the comments. Follow the recipe author on social media to see more dishes and updates.