Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes and 2 small red or green capsicums
- ½ cup (110 g/3⅔ oz) arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons currants
- ½ cup (30 g/l oz) chopped fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- olive oil, to brush
Method
1. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Preheat the oven to warm 160°C (315°F/Gas 2–3). Cut a slice from the top of each tomato. Spoon out the flesh into a bowl, put in a strainer to drain the juice and then finely dice. Reserve the juice and pulp separately. Leave the tomato shells to drain, upside-down, on a rack. Cut the capsicums in half widthways; discard the seeds and membrane. Trim the bases a little so they sit flat-don't cut all the way through.
2. Cook the rice in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10–12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the onion, garlic and oregano for 8–10 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Add the pine nuts and currants and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs. Season to taste.
4. Add the onion mixture and reserved tomato pulp to the rice and stir well to combine. Fill the tomato and capsicum shells with the rice mixture, piling it up over the top. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the reserved tomato juice on top of the rice and replace the tomato caps.
5. Lightly brush the vegetable shells with olive oil. Arrange the capsicums in a baking dish; cover lightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until cooked. Serve warm or cold.
