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September 2, 2022

Tomato Farci

Easy Dinner Idea for a Party

Tomatoes farci ready to bake
Tomato Farci 16
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Tomato Farci

Tomato farci baked until golden brown

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In French, farci means "to stuff." Tomato Farci, made with ripe tomatoes from the garden, is a summer staple in the south of France. The tomato farci are light and easy to digest, even in 100-degree heat. This is why we make them every summer in France when we have big family dinner parties. A drizzle of olive oil on top is the key to caramelizing the tomatoes and crisping their tops. We call the tops of the tomatoes chapeaux, which means "hat" in French, and it is expected that someone will try to steal your chapeau because they are so good! Olive oil and tomato juice combine to create a delicious sauce that ensures this dish never gets boring.  
  • Author: Caterina De Falco
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
  • Total Time: 65-75 minutes

Ingredients

Scale

Large tomatoes, as many as you will want to serve- usually 1 per person

Four cloves of fresh garlic ( or to your liking) minced

One medium onion minced

1/2 pound minced pork

1/2 pound minced veal

Fresh parsley about 1/4 cup

2 ounces of tomato paste

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup breadcrumbs- fresh if possible

Optional 1/4- 1/2 cup of white wine

Instructions

1. Put about a teaspoon of olive oil in a baking dish and rub it around to coat the dish.

2. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes about 1 1/2 inches from the top and save the tops.

3. Using a spoon ( a teaspoon, tablespoon, or a grapefruit spoon, all work well), Hallow out the insides of the tomato and reserve the pulp. 

A baking dish with hallowed out tomatoes

4. Strain the seeds and juice and cut the pulp into small pieces. If you're in a hurry, you can use the seeds and the juice; it will be fine. 

5. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish with the open side up. 

6. Heat one to two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft but not browned. 

7. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. 

8. Add the meat and cook it until it is browned. While the meat is cooking, use a spatula to break up the meat so there are no large pieces. 

9. Add the tomato pulp, tomato paste, and wine and cook for 5 - 10 minutes until well combined. You can skip the wine if you like; it adds another layer of flavor. 

11. Turn off the heat and add the parsley, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. 

12. Add sea salt or Celtic salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix well. 

13. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes filling them to the top, and place the tomato tops on top. 

14. Add some sprigs of fresh thyme to the top if you have some. 

Tomato farci with sprigs of thyme on top ready to bake

15. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until the tops are browned and caramelized.

Notes

If you have leftover farci filling, freeze it, and then you can make tomato farci very quickly.  You can also use the stuffing for zucchini farci.  

Watch for a tip on freezing.

Zuchini farci ready to bake

Zucchini farci baked to golden brown

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I often cook "au pif," as we say in France, which means cooking without an exact recipe and by "feel" using your intuition.  You’ll often find guidelines in many recipes versus exact quantities.  Write to me here if you have any questions about the recipes.

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