Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

4

Ingredients

4 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon Fustini's Tuscan Herb olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 oz fontina cheese, cut into 1/4" cubes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Hint

Substitute your favorite Fustini's herb-infused olive oil. This is a delicious side to serve with a simple salad. adapted from delish.com

Directions

Step 1.

Preheat oven to 425°. Core tomatoes with a paring knife and cut a larger 2"-wide circle on top of each. Using a small spoon, scoop out insides, then place tomatoes upside-down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and let drain while you prep the filling.

Step 2.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, 8 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage mixture to a large paper towel-lined bowl to soak up grease, then discard the paper towel and stir in basil, panko, fontina, and Parmesan.

Step 3.

Place tomatoes in a small baking dish and season insides with salt and pepper. Stuff tomatoes with sausage mixture (filling will shrink as you cook, so be sure to mound tops until they look like they’re overflowing), and bake until cheese is melting and tops are golden 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 to10 minutes.