Tomatoes Stuffed with Italian Sausage


Ah Paris! Already more than a month in the past, it now seems like a dream.

On our last day, we noticed sausage-stuffed tomatoes at the Mediterranean deli across the street. We had plenty of food left, and although they looked delicious, my frugality once again maintained the upper hand.

I passed, thinking I could make them back in Wisconsin.

Tonight, the end of a sunny and breezy high summer day, I did just that. The result was July’s equivalent of a September favorite, stuffed green peppers.

Sausage-Stuffed Tomatoes


  • 5-6 large tomatoes
  • ½ pound spicy Italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons green pepper, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • dash herbes de Provence
  • Pinch fleur de sel
  • Dash pepper


Preheat oven to 350. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes. Gently remove the pulp, juice and seeds.

Brown sausage in olive oil, breaking into small pieces with wooden spatula. When sausage is brown, remove it and set aside. Add garlic, onion and pepper and cook until tender. Add sausage, thyme and herbs and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. You may want to add a bit of tomato sauce or leftover spaghetti sauce for color.

Place tomatoes in lightly greased backing dish. Fill with sausage mixture. If there is some left over, place this in the dish, too.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. After about 15 minutes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I served this with French bread and an off-brand white shiraz that was peppery and berrylike on the tongue and oakey at the finish.

Comments

Farmgirl Cyn said…
Sans the bread, this sounds like a very South Beach friendly recipe. I think I will be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes in just a few short weeks, so this sounds like just the ticket!
L Vanel said…
This is a summer favorite and we always have it when we go down South to the midi to visit. Thanks for sharing your dinner, Mimi!
Katie Zeller said…
That looks yummy! I love the photo!
I've lightly stuffed tomatoes (pesto, herbs) for a starter but never thought of doing something more substantial for a meal. Sounds wonderful... spicy sausage and tomatoes go so well together.
Beautiful.
And for me at least the perfect sausage would be those hot Italian spicy chicken sausage that I can only get at Whole Foods. Sorry yes they call them Italian, I just call them good.
I'm always surprize at what little Paris memories will flash on me!
Unknown said…
Cyn, we have been pretty good about following SBD for most meals. If fact, one of my friends and I are going to do it together - we live in the same neighborhood and can walk together, too, which makes it much easier.

Lucy, I'd never made warm stuffed tomatoes before. I usually serve them cold with tuna or chicken salad.

Katie, it was like eating stewed tomatoes w.o the juice. We'll try this one again. So simple, why didn't I try it before?

Tanna, I would love a Whole Foods store. But ometimes vegetables do not sell in the stores - I think Wisconsin likes cheese and fried foods and that's it. So it would have to be Whole Meats...
Anonymous said…
Those tomatoes look delicious. I've been craving stuffed peppers lately but am waiting for them to come in season.

Mary
www.ceresandbacchus.com
Glenna said…
Looks yummy! The perfect summer supper.
Unknown said…
Stuffed peppers are a big deal at our house, Mary; we have them a lot in late summer-early fall. My husband is a purist and has to have them his way; I like to experiment with different fillings.

Glenna, it was about all I could muster last night. I really must get better organized.
Jann said…
Once again, you have excited my taste buds!I could eat peppers served anyway,with anything!
This is a favorite family "quick fix" meal. My husband's family always makes it in France, sometimes with zucchini instead of tomatoes, and we usually try to approximate the "chair de saucisse" you can buy in French grocery stores with similar things here. The one main difference is we put the meat in raw and cook it, of course, much longer. Tonight I decided to try it your way, with Italian sausage and onions and garlic! It smells delicious already. Thanks for the idea.
Julie said…
Mimi, those stuffed tomatoes look great. I haven't had something like this in ages. I will have to make some.
Anonymous said…
Just the name makes my mouth water, and then the photo.,..and now the recipe. I want some now!
Anonymous said…
I made these tonight. Hubby LOVED them!
Unknown said…
My mother in law is french, and my husband always raves about her stuffed tomatoes and zuchini. Her recipe is sausage fermier (sausages from the country, no spices), egg, parsley, chives, garlic and bread that has been soakes in water, salt and pepper. You mix everything up (dont cook)then stuff the tomatoes and drizzle olive oil and cook in a medium hot oven. She cooks the tomato and zuchini pulp on the stove with some olive oil as a sauce to put over! I think they are all good - just a variation from a french mum!!

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