Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Spinach and Cottage Cheese

close up of a stuffed tomato in a baking dish with melted parm on top

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Spinach and Cottage Cheese

An Italian-inspired recipe for baked tomatoes stuffed with a blend of spices, parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, and spinach. High in protein and delicious!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 254kcal

Author Amee

Equipment

square baking dish

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 large ripe red tomatoes beefsteak or other large tomato variety
salt for draining tomatoes
½ medium onion finely diced- I use Vidalia but white or yellow onion works here too
1 large garlic clove minced
12 oz frozen spinach thawed, drained, and completely squeezed dry
1¼ cup 2% cottage cheese small curd
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil you can also use 1-2 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh basil
olive oil cooking spray
block of parmesan or pecorino romano for grating on top
optional garnishes: chopped fresh basil or parsley

Instructions

Wash the tomatoes and pat dry. Slice the top off and hollow out the inside of the tomato, being careful not to pierce the sides. I use a small paring knife for this, running it around the inside and scoring it into 4 sections to remove. Carefully scoop out the cavity with a large spoon, removing the seeds and membrane.
Salt the cavities and place them upside down on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the tomatoes are draining, prepare the filling.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and drained spinach to the skillet, cover, and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and basil until combined.
Add the spinach mixture to the bowl and stir the filling well to mix.
Pat the tomato cavities dry with paper towels and place them into a greased square baking dish. Spoon the spinach mixture into the tomatoes. Spray with olive oil spray (or drizzle with olive oil- I do both) and bake for 25 minutes.
Using a microplane grater, finely grate some extra parmesan cheese on top of each tomato and bake for 5-7 minutes more, until th cheese is melted and tomatoes are bubbly.
Garnish with coarse salt and freshly chopped parsley or basil, if desired.

Notes

Drain the tomatoes. It is imperative to place the hollowed-out tomatoes upside down on paper towels for at least 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe! This critical step helps drain excess moisture, preventing the filling from becoming watery during baking.

Drying the spinach. Soggy spinach can also be the culprit behind a watery filling. You must thaw it completely, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible before using it.

Nutrition