Slim Man Cooks Baked Tomatoes Caprese

I’m sure if anybody from Capri heard about this dish, they’d all jump up collectively and scream...“This dish ain’t from here!”Except they’d say it in Italian. With hand gestures. And wild gesticulations.Capri is an island off the coast of Italy, in the Mediterranean. I was conceived there; my Dad was helping with the reconstruction of Europe after World War II, and he and my mom stopped by Capri before they came to the States.Caprese salad originated in Capri in the 1950s; it’s a simple salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, with a drizzle of olive oil. I made baked tomatoes last week; I stuffed them with Parmigiano cheese, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic. They were so good. Delizioso!And then, a couple nights ago, I was thinking…why not do the same thing, but with mozzarella and pesto, kinda like a baked Caprese salad. Or a pizza without the dough!So that’s what I did. They turned out great; and it was quick, simple, and delizioso.You’re gonna need about ¼ cup of pesto sauce. I highly recommend Slim Man’s All-Purpose Pesto Sauce, the recipe and video are at slimmancooks.com, Free for All Slim People.INGREDIENTS2 tomatoes, ripe and beautiful, top button removed, cut in half, seeds scooped out1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used plain)¼ cup pesto sauce1 tablespoon olive oil1/3 pound mozzarella, sliced in stripsSmall handful of fresh basil leavesA drizzle of olive oilSalt and fresh cracked black pepperHERE WE GO!Preheat the oven to 450.Put the tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle each with a little olive oil, add salt and fresh cracked black pepper.Put the breadcrumbs, the pesto, and the olive oil in a bowl, mix ‘em up.Spoon some of the pesto/panko mixture into each tomato; spread some on top.Put the dish in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.When they are, take the dish out of the oven.Turn the oven to broil.Put some mozzarella on top of each tomato; don’t cover the tomato top completely, let some of the breadcrumbs remain visible.Put the tomatoes under the broiler FOR A MINUTE! Keep your eyes on these guys, don’t burn them.Take the dish out of the oven.Take a scissors, snip some basil on top of each tomato.Add a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of salt, and some fresh cracked black pepper.Dish it up! Add a basil leaf, make it look nice! And...MANGIAMO!!!!!!! 

Slim Man Cooks Baked Tomatoes with Parmigiano and Panko

So there I was. Staring at two very ripe tomatoes.I don’t normally stare at produce, but these things needed to be eaten. And soon.I didn’t want to eat the same old shit, Caprese salad, or my Mom’s tomato salad, no disrespect to my Mom or Capri!I just wanted something different. Then I thought of making baked tomatoes, but they seemed so...Antiquated. Out of style. Not in vogue.Which is why they appealed to me. I looked up recipes, but nothing was clicking; they were all missing something.Know what they were missing?Slimness.I wanted to make a stuffing with stuff I like. So I made a mixture of panko and Parmigiano and parsley and garlic, along with some dried oregano. Why dried oregano?I like the taste better. Especially in Italian-American dishes, although I’m pretty sure this dish is more American than Italian.Until now!I added a little olive oil to keep it together and moist.I scooped the seeds out of the tomatoes. I’m not a big fan of tomato seeds, especially in fresh tomatoes. I cut out the top tab/button of both tomatoes first. Then I cut them in half, horizontally. Then I scooped seeds.I mixed up the stuffing, stuffed it in the tomatoes, and baked them for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.Wow. They were real good. I mean...real good. I’m staying away from the hyperbole these days. Leaving myself a little headroom. But these were...delizioso. And quick. And easy.INGREDIENTS¼ cup panko breadcrumbs¼ cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese1 teaspoon minced garlic1 teaspoon dried oregano1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsleyKosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper1 generous tablespoon olive oil2 ripe tomatoes, top buttons cut out, cut in half horizontally, seeds scooped outHERE WE GO...Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.Put all the ingredients except the tomatoes in a small bowl.Mix with a fork.Put the 4 tomato halves in a small baking dish.Drizzle a little olive oil over each, add a little Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to each.Add equal amounts of the panko mixture to each tomato. Fill the tomato holes. Put the extra on top. Be judicious. Be equitable.Put the dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on these maters.When the tops are golden brown, take the dish out of the oven.Let it sit for 5 minutes.Dish ‘em up! Make ‘em look nice, add a sprig of fresh parsley, and...MANGIAMO!!!!