Tonight’s Dinner: Orzo-stuffed tomatoes recipe

There’s nothing better on a hot day than a cool pasta salad. But maybe even better than the salad is serving said salad in a fresh, heirloom tomato.

Pasta salads are a nice filling option when you’re in the mood for something lighter than a steak or chicken dinner. But if you think pasta salads are boring, they’re not. You can put anything in a pasta salad, from chicken to shrimp to peas or even cheese. Unfortunately, while you can put anything into a pasta salad, you can usually only put that salad into one thing: a ceramic bowl. It turns out a bowl doesn’t have to be ceramic, though. A bowl can be made of bread, a taco shell or even a tomato. So if you’re in the mood to eat everything, including the plate, try spooning that salad into something edible. You’ll get an even more satisfying meal, and there’s nothing to clean up.

Orzo-stuffed tomatoes

Serving size 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large heirloom tomatoes
• 2 cups orzo
• 1/2 pound salad shrimp
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the orzo according to the package directions. Drain, shock with cold water and set aside.
2. While the orzo cooks, hollow out the heirloom tomatoes, and set them aside.
3. Place the prepared orzo into a bowl with the shrimp and peas. Add the mayonnaise, and toss until everything is coated. Spoon the orzo mixture into the tomatoes, and serve.

More Tonight’s Dinner recipes: >>

Other tomato recipes

Baked tomatoes with Parmesan cheese
Herb and goat cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes
Spaghetti with balsamic tomatoes