8ounces fresh sausage, removed from the casings if necessary
1cup cooked white basmati, brown, or wild rice or other cooked grain
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1/2cup olive oil
Chopped parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
Heat the oven to 450°F. Cut a 1/4-inch slice from the flower end of each tomato (the bottom or opposite side of the stem end). Reserve these slices. Or halve tomatoes lengthwise.
Use a spoon to scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving a wall about 1/4 inch thick. Discard the woody core and seeds. Chop the pulp and mix it with the sausage, rice, garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the inside of the tomato with salt and pepper. Fill them with the sausage mixture and replace the top slices. Spread 1/4 cup of the oil in a shallow roasting pan that will allow for a little room between the tomatoes; put them in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled and the sausage is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. An instant thermometer inserted into the middle of one of the tomatoes should read at least 165 degrees. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, drizzled with the remaining oil and garnished with parsley.