How often do you cook with tomatoes? Tomatoes are a key ingredient in many of our favorite recipes and condiments. They make up the base of many different chilis as well as sauces like ketchup and even Indian curries. Still, it’s rare that we allow tomatoes to be the focus of a meal rather than just a side dish or an ingredient—and that’s a mistake! But we have an amazing recipe today that will change all that.

This recipe for rice-stuffed tomatoes is a common one in Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy and is a somewhat simplified version of other stuffed veggie dishes from the region. Still, best to keep it simple for starters, right?

Here’s what you need:

• 10 large tomatoes
• 3/4 cups of uncooked rice
• 2 peeled and grated zucchini
• 1 chopped onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons of dry mint
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes
• salt
• pepper
• 9 x 13-inch baking dish
• food processor

Here’s what you do:

1. Before anything else, start preheating your oven at 400 degrees. Next, start preparing your tomatoes by slicing the tops off and setting them to the side. After that, use a spoon to scoop out the insides. Keep the juice of the tomato in one bowl and the pulpy insides in a separate bowl. Finally, put slits in the inside bottom of your tomatoes and make sure not to cut all the way through.

2. Grease up your baking dish and load all of your hollowed-out tomatoes into it.

3. Next, get your onion, garlic, a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt and throw them all into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients together until they are slightly broken down and chunky.

4. Take the pulpy bowl of tomato filling and chop it all into small pieces before adding your grated zucchini. Add a tablespoon of salt along with mint, parsley and tomato paste. Combine the ingredients well. Then, add your uncooked rice, a teaspoon of lemon juice and 3/4 cups of olive oil and let it all set.

5. While waiting on that, peel your potatoes and chop them up into little chunks. Season them by tossing with oregano, 3/4 cups of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix these together and then throw your tomato juice in with them. Now you’re ready to assemble everything!

6. Carefully fill each of your empty tomatoes with the rice mixture and top them off with the tomato caps you saved. Add your potatoes in the empty space around your tomatoes along with any extra juice or other ingredients.

7. As a finishing touch, add a cup of water from the corner of your baking pan and tilt it so the water flows evenly around the entire thing. Finally, throw the entire thing in the oven and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes. Once that’s over, take it out, reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 60 to 90 minutes. After that, you’re done!

This recipe is simple and offers a delicious taste of Mediterranean cooking right at home. As a final note, if your tray is getting too dry in the final steps simply top it off with a little more water to keep it all hydrated. Although the spices in this recipe may be a little different than you’re used to, the texture and the combination of spice and savory is sure to delight your tongue. Hopefully, it’ll become a new family staple as well!

If you’ve made this recipe, what did you think? Tell us in the comments below.

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12 Tomatoes

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By Ryan Aliapoulios

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Ryan Aliapoulios is a contributing writer at Shareably based out of Los Angeles. Find him on Twitter @rollyops.