Name: Orzo-Stuffed Tomatoes with Pesto Fluff
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup dry whole wheat orzo; ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas; 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts; 1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped; ¼ cup finely chopped onion; ¼ cup finely chopped yellow or orange bell pepper; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar; Sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ¾ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 12 Campari tomatoes

Prep-time: 25 minutes / Ready In: 30 minutes
Makes 12 stuffed tomatoes
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Campari tomatoes are larger than cherry tomatoes, but smaller and rounder than romas—which make them perfect for stuffing. Each juicy sphere is hollowed out with a melon baller and filled with a delicious Mediterranean-inspired medley of orzo pasta, green peas, bell pepper, and pine nuts. The Italian flair is taken a step further by topping each eye-catching appetizer with a dollop of homemade pesto fluff, which adds a scrumptiously creamy component. The secret to the pesto garnish is blending basil leaves with nutrient-dense cannellini beans, which creates a fluffy texture and gives these snacks extra hunger-busting capabilities. Get ready to wow the crowd at your next plant-based soirée with these vegan and oil-free stuffed tomatoes!

For more unique tomato recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

By Darshana Thacker Wendel, Jun 21, 2023

Ingredients

½ cup dry whole wheat orzo
½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
12 Campari tomatoes

Instructions

In a small saucepan bring 2 cups water to boiling. Add orzo and stir well. Cook over medium-high 10 minutes, adding peas the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain well.
Transfer orzo and peas to a medium bowl. Add pine nuts, ½ cup of the basil, the onion, bell pepper, half of the garlic, and the vinegar; mix well. Season with salt and black pepper
For pesto fluff, in a blender combine the remaining basil and garlic, the beans, and ½ cup water. Cover and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag (snip off a small corner of plastic bag when ready to use).
Slice off the top of each tomato. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each tomato to create a flat base so tomatoes stand upright. Use a melon baller to scoop out and discard seeds. Fill tomatoes with orzo mixture and top with pesto fluff. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.

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