Description
Stuffed Tomato Bites are a delicious and healthy appetizer or side dish featuring small tomatoes filled with a creamy ricotta, spinach, and herb mixture, then oven-roasted to perfection and topped with melted provolone cheese. Perfect for a light lunch or elegant starter, these bites combine fresh ingredients with simple cooking techniques for a flavorful and satisfying treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Tomatoes
- 5 small tomatoes
Filling
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
- Pinch of salt & pepper
Toppings and Finishing
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 2 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of a casserole dish to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Core the tomatoes: Using a melon baller or a sharp knife inserted at an angle, carefully go around the top of each tomato and scoop out the core and seeds with a spoon, creating a hollow cavity for the filling.
- Make the filling: In a small bowl, beat the egg and stir in the ricotta cheese until smooth. Add the chopped spinach, minced garlic, onion powder, minced parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Fill the tomatoes: Spoon the ricotta and spinach mixture into each hollowed-out tomato cavity until filled. Drizzle each filled tomato with olive oil and sprinkle an additional pinch of salt and pepper on top for seasoning.
- Roast the tomatoes: Place the stuffed tomatoes in the prepared casserole dish and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes become soft and the filling is set and cooked through. After roasting, turn the oven off.
- Add cheese and melt: Top each roasted tomato with pieces of provolone cheese. Return the dish to the warm oven (which is off but still hot enough) to gently melt the cheese without reheating the tomatoes further.
- Serve: Once the provolone has melted, remove the tomatoes from the oven. Serve these stuffed tomato bites warm as a light lunch, appetizer, or side dish.
Notes
- Use small but firm tomatoes to hold the filling better during roasting.
- Coring the tomatoes carefully prevents the filling from leaking out while cooking.
- Chopping the spinach finely helps it incorporate smoothly into the ricotta filling.
- If provolone cheese is too strong, substitute with mozzarella or another mild melting cheese.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and gently reheated in a warm oven or microwave.
