{serves 8 as a hearty side}
- 8 large tomatoes
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil if you’re not feelin it)
- 1 large shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 16 oz spinach (fresh)
- 1 grilled (or baked) and chopped sausage (spicy Italian preferably)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred/canned works fine)
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 5 oz fresh goat cheese
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 tbsp chopped thyme and rosemary (plus more (not chopped) for pretty garnishes)
- 8 dollops kalamata olive tapenade
- 3 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
- pre-heat oven to 350ºF; cut tops off of tomatoes and scoop out the insides with a melon scooper (leaving a 1/4 inch or so thick wall so they don’t completely collapse (reserve the insides)) ; then lightly salt the insides
- heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; meanhwile chop garlic and shallot
- once butter has melted add the garlic and shallot and sauté until they’re opaque then add the spinach and sauté until slightly wilted then take off heat and let cool
- at this point the salt in the tomato bowls will have probably brought out some water, add that to the tomato insides bowl
- in a large mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach concoction, 3/4 cups of the tomato insides, pistachios, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, breadcrumbs, sausage and herbs
- then bake at 350º F for 20 minutes, remove from oven, top with the tapenade dollops and put the tomato hat/lids back on and bake for another 10 minutes
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